BACKGROUND:
The aim of the study was to estimate the lethality
of opioid overdose among young heroin users.
METHODS:
A
prospective community cohort study
was conducted in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain. Participants included 791 heroin users aged 18-30 years who were followed up between
2001 and 2006. Fatal overdoses were identified by record linkage of the cohort with the general mortality register, while
non-fatal overdoses were self-reported at baseline and follow-up interviews.
The person-years (py) at risk were computed for each participant. Fatal and
non-fatal overdose rates
were estimated by city. Transition towards injection shortly before the overdose could not be measured. Overdose lethality (rate of fatal overdose in proportion to total overdose) and
its 95% CI was estimated using Bayesian models.
RESULTS:
The adjusted
rates of fatal and non-fatal opioid overdose were
0.7/100 py (95% CI: 0.4-1.1) and 15.8/100 py (95% CI: 14.3-17.6), respectively.
The adjusted lethality was
4.2% (95% CI: 2.5-6.5).
CONCLUSIONS:
Four
out of 100 opioid overdoses
are fatal. These are preventable deaths that could be avoided before or after
the overdose takes place. Resources are urgently needed to
prevent fatal opioid overdose.
Eur Addict Res. 2015;21(6):300-6. doi: 10.1159/000377626. Epub 2015 May 28.
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