This thesis comprises studies on opiate overdose death, and focuses on evaluation of toxicological characteristics including the possible influence of abstinence and polydrug use for the fatal outcome. In order to identify and classify drug abusers, a screening method for several drugs of abuse was developed and applied on randomly selected autopsy cases. Out of 75 cases, 26 positive results we...

BACKGROUND Vital statistics data suggest that the opioid pain reliever (OPR) methadone is involved in one third of OPR-related overdose deaths, but it accounts for only a few percent of OPR prescriptions. METHODS CDC analyzed rates of fatal methadone overdoses and sales nationally during 1999-2010 and rates of overdose death for methadone compared with rates for other major opioids in 13 stat...

Drug poisoning (overdose) is the number one cause of injury-related death in the United States, with 43,982 deaths occurring in 2013. While much attention has been given to deaths involving opioid analgesics, in recent years there has been a steady increase in the number of drug-poisoning deaths involving heroin. A recent study using data from 28 states reported that the death rate for heroin o...

AIMS This study assessed overdose and naloxone administration knowledge among current or former opioid abusers trained and untrained in overdose-response in the United States. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS Ten individuals, divided equally between those trained or not trained in overdose recognition and response, were recruited from each of six sites (n = 62). SETTING US-based overdose training an...

OBJECTIVE To review the diagnosis and management of drug overdosage in a two-part presentation. DATA SOURCES A review of articles reported on drug overdose and poisoning. SUMMARY OF REVIEW A patient who has taken an overdose of a common drug often presents with an alteration in neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory functions. The differential diagnosis includes, central nervous syste...

Opioid overdose deaths quadrupled from 8,050 in 1999 to 33,091 in 2015 and accounted for 63% of drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2015. During 2010-2015, heroin overdose deaths quadrupled from 3,036 to 12,989 (1). Sharp increases in the supply of heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) are likely contributing to increased deaths (2-6). CDC examined trends in unintentional an...

OBJECTIVE The evaluation of S100B protein expression in the human heart and its correlation with drug-related death. METHOD Left ventricular samples were collected from 74 serial forensic autopsies (15 overdose-related deaths; 59 non-overdose-related deaths) from 2007 to 2010. Tissue sections from each sample were immunostained for S100B protein by a commercial antibody. RESULTS The S100B p...

Though recovery of consciousness after drug overdose may occur within a day or two, the drug itself may not finally leave the brain for another one to three weeks, and at this late time a withdrawal syndrome can occur, with insomnia, restlessness, raised paradoxical (R.E.M.) sleep, epileptic phenomena, and even delirium. It is proposed that a high degree of drug-tolerance and dependence can be ...

Poly-drug use refers to the use of two or more substances at the one time or repeatedly. It is common among both recreational and regular drug users across the world. Poly-drug use is a great contributor to the global number of deaths related to drug overdose. In this case, the likelihood of drug overdose and its pertaining complications in an individual is higher especially when benzodiazepine...

Supervised drug consumption facilities, where illicit drugs can be used under the supervision of trained staff, have been operating in Europe for the last three decades. These facilities primarily aim to reduce the acute risks of disease transmission through unhygienic injecting, prevent drug-related overdose deaths and connect high-risk drug users with addiction treatment and other health and ...