CONTEXT The extent of non-absorbed drug burden in the GI tract following overdose is unknown. Patients who present with clinical signs of toxicity may not undergo decontamination due to assumption that the drug has already been completely absorbed and because of limited scientific evidence of benefit for routine GI decontamination in poisoned patients. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to ...

BACKGROUND Opioid overdose continues to be a significant and growing cause of preventable mortality and morbidity. Studies suggest that unintentional, non-fatal overdose from prescription opioid analgesics constitutes a large portion of total overdose events. The societal burden associated with these events is a frequently overlooked public health concern. OBJECTIVES To evaluate unintentional...

BACKGROUND This study seeks to identify the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, non-fatal overdose among people currently injecting drugs (PWID) in St. Petersburg (Russia) and in Kohtla-Järve (Estonia). METHODS Five hundred eighty-eight study participants in Kohtla-Järve (in 2012) and 811 in St. Petersburg (in 2012-2013) were recruited using respondent driven sampling for intervi...

OBJECTIVE To determine the rate and risk of suicide and accidental fatal drug overdose (ie, overdose deemed not to have been suicide) in individuals who had been medically ascertained as having been sexually abused during childhood. DESIGN A historical cohort linkage study of suicide and accidental drug-induced death among victims of child sexual abuse (CSA). SETTING AND PATIENTS Forensic m...

INTRODUCTION Naloxone, an opiate antagonist that can avert opiate overdose morality, has long been prescribed to drug users in Europe and in a few US cities. However, there has been little documented evidence of naloxone distribution programs and their feasibility in the peer reviewed literature in the US. METHODS A pilot overdose prevention and reversal program was implemented in a New York ...

BACKGROUND Release from prison is associated with a markedly increased risk of both fatal and non-fatal drug overdose, yet the risk factors for overdose in recently released prisoners are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify risk and protective factors for non-fatal overdose (NFOD) among a cohort of illicit drug users in Vancouver, Canada, according to recent incarceration. ...

Background: The purpose of this work was to describe the experiences EMS personnel in responding drug overdose-related calls and impact pandemic has had help better inform current response treatment efforts.

BACKGROUND Overdose from illicit drugs is a leading cause of premature mortality in North America. Internationally, more than 65 supervised injecting facilities (SIFs), where drug users can inject pre-obtained illicit drugs, have been opened as part of various strategies to reduce the harms associated with drug use. We sought to determine whether the opening of an SIF in Vancouver, BC, Canada, ...

Reports from various centres have shown that drug overdose is an increasing medical problem (Ghodse, 1977, Holding et al 1977). The number of patients presenting at the Casualty Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital with drug overdose has been recorded over the past four years for the information of the Northern Ireland Liaison Committee on the Misuse of Drugs. The present paper records thi...

Intentional iron overdose in adults is uncommon. Clinical consequences are variable and depend on the quantity of iron ingested and the delay to treatment. Severe iron overdose can lead to multi-organ failure and acute hepatic necrosis. Here, we report three cases of polypharmacy overdose including iron resulting in acute liver failure. Despite maximum supportive care including liver transplant...