Delays in Pediatric Cannabis Toxicology Testing Lead to Increased Neuroimaging in Emergency Departments

Highlight

• Children under 6 presenting to emergency departments with cannabis poisoning often experience delays in urine drug screen results.
• Initial complaints—neurologic, exposure-related, or both—strongly influence the likelihood of neuroimaging such as CT or MRI.
• Median time to cannabis testing results can exceed two hours, with nearly one fifth of outcomes returning after patient disposition.
• Expediting toxicology testing and encouraging early caregiver disclosure may reduce unnecessary neuroimaging and optimize resource use in pediatric emergency care.

Study Background