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The American Journal of Drug and... Sep 2021The opioid crisis in the United States has received national attention and critical resources in the past decade. However, what has been overlooked is the effect the...
The opioid crisis in the United States has received national attention and critical resources in the past decade. However, what has been overlooked is the effect the opioid crisis may be having on a three-decade suicide crisis among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities that already have too few resources to address behavioral and mental health issues. This paper describes recent epidemiological trends associated with both opioid overdose and suicide at a national level for AIANs and the rest of the United States. We used data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to report historical trends of opioid overdose and suicide for AIAN and non-AIAN populations. We found alarming and potentially correlated trends of opioid use and suicidality among AIAN populations. We highlight both current and future research that will be essential to understanding and addressing the unique intersection between opioid and suicide risk and protective factors to inform dual prevention and intervention efforts among AIAN populations with potential relevance to public health response among other at-risk populations.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alaska Natives; Child; Humans; Middle Aged; Opiate Overdose; Opioid Epidemic; Suicide; Syndemic; United States; Young Adult; American Indian or Alaska Native
PubMed: 34374620
DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2021.1955895 -
The International Journal on Drug Policy Jan 2022Methamphetamine use has increased among individuals with opioid use disorder. The key aims of this study are to detail and contextualise lay knowledge, attitudes, and...
AIM
Methamphetamine use has increased among individuals with opioid use disorder. The key aims of this study are to detail and contextualise lay knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to methamphetamine use in relation to opioid overdose risks in an area dominated by non-pharmaceutical fentanyl-type drugs (NPF).
METHODS
The study recruited 41 individuals in Dayton, Ohio, who reported past 30-day use of methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl. Interviews included structured and qualitative questions. Urine toxicology analysis was conducted to identify NPFs and other drugs. Open-ended interview sections were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed qualitatively using NVivo.
RESULTS
The mean age was 38.3 years, 51% were female, and 100% non-Hispanic white. Participants described an exceedingly unpredictable local opioid market that became saturated with NPFs. The sample tested positive for 10 NPFs, including fentanyl (100%), acetyl fentanyl (61%), tetrahydrofuran fentanyl (29%), and carfentanil (12%). Most participants believed that methamphetamine could help prevent and/or reverse an opioid-related overdose. Nearly half had personally used it to help manage overdose risks related to NPF. These beliefs were embedded in a lay understanding of how methamphetamine works to stimulate the cardiovascular system. They were acted upon in the context of last resort situations that were determined by a lack of immediate access to naloxone, ambiguities surrounding overdose symptomatology, and easy access to plentiful and inexpensive methamphetamine.
CONCLUSION
Lay efforts to rely on methamphetamine to manage NPF-related overdose risks highlight the need for a continuing expansion of take-home-naloxone programs and implementation of other novel harm reduction approaches in communities affected by NPFs.
Topics: Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Drug Overdose; Female; Fentanyl; Humans; Methamphetamine; Opiate Overdose; Opioid-Related Disorders
PubMed: 34619443
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103463 -
Harm Reduction Journal Feb 2022Drug overdoses occur when the amount of drug or combination of drugs consumed is toxic and negatively affects physiological functioning. Opioid overdoses are responsible...
Personal experience and awareness of opioid overdose occurrence among peers and willingness to administer naloxone in South Africa: findings from a three-city pilot survey of homeless people who use drugs.
BACKGROUND
Drug overdoses occur when the amount of drug or combination of drugs consumed is toxic and negatively affects physiological functioning. Opioid overdoses are responsible for the majority of overdose deaths worldwide. Naloxone is a safe, fast-acting opioid antagonist that can reverse an opioid overdose, and as such, it should be a critical component of community-based responses to opioid overdose. However, the burden of drug overdose deaths remains unquantified in South Africa, and both knowledge about and access to naloxone is generally poor. The objective of this study was to describe the experiences of overdose, knowledge of responses to overdose events, and willingness to call emergency medical services in response to overdose among people who use drugs in Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria (South Africa).
METHODS
We used convenience sampling to select people who use drugs accessing harm reduction services for this cross-sectional survey from March to July 2019. Participants completed an interviewer-administered survey, assessing selected socio-demographic characteristics, experiences of overdose among respondents and their peers, knowledge about naloxone and comfort in different overdose responses. Data, collected on paper-based tools, were analysed using descriptive statistics and categorised by city.
RESULTS
Sixty-six participants participated in the study. The median age was 31, and most (77%) of the respondents were male. Forty-one per cent of the respondents were homeless. Heroin was the most commonly used drug (79%), and 82% of participants used drugs daily. Overall, 38% (25/66) reported overdosing in the past year. Most (76%, 50/66) knew at least one person who had ever experienced an overdose, and a total of 106 overdose events in peers were reported. Most participants (64%, 42/66) had not heard of naloxone, but once described to them, 73% (48/66) felt comfortable to carry it. More than two-thirds (68%, 45/66) felt they would phone for medical assistance if they witnessed an overdose.
CONCLUSION
Drug overdose was common among participants in these cities. Without interventions, high overdose-related morbidity and mortality is likely to occur in these contexts. Increased awareness of actions to undertake in response to an overdose (calling for medical assistance, using naloxone) and access to naloxone are urgently required in these cities. Additional data are needed to better understand the nature of overdose in South Africa to inform policy and responses.
Topics: Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Cities; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug Overdose; Humans; Male; Naloxone; Narcotic Antagonists; Opiate Overdose; Opioid-Related Disorders; South Africa; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35148779
DOI: 10.1186/s12954-021-00561-w -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Oct 2023Higher doses of opioids, mental health comorbidities, co-prescription of sedatives, lower socioeconomic status and a history of opioid overdose have been reported as... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Higher doses of opioids, mental health comorbidities, co-prescription of sedatives, lower socioeconomic status and a history of opioid overdose have been reported as risk factors for opioid overdose; however, the magnitude of these associations and their credibility are unclear. We sought to identify predictors of fatal and nonfatal overdose from prescription opioids.
METHODS
We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science up to Oct. 30, 2022, for observational studies that explored predictors of opioid overdose after their prescription for chronic pain. We performed random-effects meta-analyses for all predictors reported by 2 or more studies using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS
Twenty-eight studies (23 963 716 patients) reported the association of 103 predictors with fatal or nonfatal opioid overdose. Moderate- to high-certainty evidence supported large relative associations with history of overdose (OR 5.85, 95% CI 3.78-9.04), higher opioid dose (OR 2.57, 95% CI 2.08-3.18 per 90-mg increment), 3 or more prescribers (OR 4.68, 95% CI 3.57-6.12), 4 or more dispensing pharmacies (OR 4.92, 95% CI 4.35-5.57), prescription of fentanyl (OR 2.80, 95% CI 2.30-3.41), current substance use disorder (OR 2.62, 95% CI 2.09-3.27), any mental health diagnosis (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.73-2.61), depression (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.57-3.14), bipolar disorder (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.77-2.41) or pancreatitis (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.52-2.64), with absolute risks among patients with the predictor ranging from 2-6 per 1000 for fatal overdose and 4-12 per 1000 for nonfatal overdose.
INTERPRETATION
We identified 10 predictors that were strongly associated with opioid overdose. Awareness of these predictors may facilitate shared decision-making regarding prescribing opioids for chronic pain and inform harm-reduction strategies SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/vznxj/).
Topics: Humans; Analgesics, Opioid; Chronic Pain; Drug Overdose; Opiate Overdose; Prescriptions; Observational Studies as Topic
PubMed: 37871953
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.230459 -
The International Journal on Drug Policy Nov 2021United States (US) policies to mitigate the opioid epidemic focus on reducing access to prescription opioids to prevent overdoses. We examined the impact of state...
BACKGROUND
United States (US) policies to mitigate the opioid epidemic focus on reducing access to prescription opioids to prevent overdoses. We examined the impact of state policies in Vermont (July 2017) and Maine (July 2016) on opioid overdoses and opioid-related adverse effects.
METHODS
Study population included patients 15 years and older in all-payer claims of Vermont (N = 597,683; Jan.2016-Dec.2018) and Maine (N = 1,370,960; Oct.2015-Dec.2017). We used interrupted time series analyses to assess the impact of opioid prescribing policies on monthly opioid overdose rate and opioid-related adverse effects rate. We used the International Classification of Disease-10-CM to identify overdoses (T40.0 × 1-T40.4 × 4, T40.601-T40.604, T40.691-T40.694) and adverse effects (T40.0 × 5, T40.2 × 5-T40.4 × 5, T40.605, T40.695).
RESULTS
Immediately after the policy, the level of Vermont's opioid overdose rate increased by 34% (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.09, 1.65) while the level of opioid-related adverse effects rate decreased by 29% (95% CI: 0.58, 0.87). In Maine, there was no level change in opioid overdose rate, but the slope of the adverse effects rate after the policy decreased by 3.5% (95% CI: 0.94, 0.99). These results varied within age and rurality subgroups in both states.
CONCLUSION
While the decrease in rate of adverse effects following the policy changes is promising, the increase in Vermont's opioid overdose rate may suggest there is an association between policy implementation and short-term risk to public health.
Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Humans; Opiate Overdose; Policy; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Prescriptions; United States
PubMed: 34107447
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103306 -
Journal of Addiction MedicineBoth COVID-19 deaths and opioid overdose deaths continue to increase in the United States. Little is known about the characteristics of counties with high rates of...
OBJECTIVES
Both COVID-19 deaths and opioid overdose deaths continue to increase in the United States. Little is known about the characteristics of counties with high rates of mortality for both.
METHODS
We analyzed county-level data on COVID-19 mortality from January 1 to May 31, 2020, and on opioid overdose mortality during 2014-2018. The outcome variable, "high-risk county" was a binary indicator of high mortality rates (above 75% quartile) for both COVID-19 and opioid overdose. We conducted geospatial logistic regression models separately for urban and rural counties to identify social determinants of health associated with being a high-risk county.
RESULTS
After adjusting for other covariates, the overall mortality rate of COVID-19 is higher in counties with larger population size and a higher proportion of racial/ethnic minorities, although counties with high rates of opioid overdose mortality have lower proportions of racial/ethnic minorities, a higher proportion of females, and are more economically disadvantaged. Significant predictors of rural counties with high mortality rates for both COVID-19 and opioid overdose include higher proportions of Blacks (Adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.04; 95%CI, 1.01-1.07), American Indians and Alaska Natives (aOR, 1.07; 95%CI, 1.02-1.13), and two or more races (aOR, 1.34; 95%CI, 1.13-1.60). Additional predictors for high-risk urban counties include population density (aOR, 1.12; 95%CI, 1.04-1.22) and higher unemployment rates during the COVID-19 pandemic (aOR, 1.23; 95%CI, 1.07-1.41).
CONCLUSIONS
Rural counties with high proportions of racial/ethnic minorities and urban counties with high unemployment rates are at high mortality risk for COVID-19 and opioid overdose.
Topics: COVID-19; Female; Humans; Opiate Overdose; Pandemics; Rural Population; SARS-CoV-2; Social Determinants of Health; United States
PubMed: 35120068
DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000834 -
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Mar 2022Patients with medically-treated opioid overdose are at high risk for subsequent adverse outcomes, including repeat overdose. Understanding factors associated with repeat...
BACKGROUND
Patients with medically-treated opioid overdose are at high risk for subsequent adverse outcomes, including repeat overdose. Understanding factors associated with repeat overdose can aid in optimizing post-overdose interventions.
METHODS
We conducted a longitudinal, retrospective cohort study using NJ Medicaid data from 2014 to 2019. Medicaid beneficiaries aged 12-64 with an index opioid overdose from 2015 to 2018 were followed for one year for subsequent overdose. Exposures included patient demographics; co-occurring medical, mental health, and substance use disorders; service and medication use in the 180 days preceding the index overdose; and MOUD following index overdose.
RESULTS
Of 4898 individuals meeting inclusion criteria, 19.6% had repeat opioid overdoses within one year. Index overdoses involving heroin/synthetic opioids were associated with higher repeat overdose risk than those involving prescription/other opioids only (HR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.22-1.71). Risk was higher for males and those with baseline opioid use disorder diagnosis or ED visits. Only 21.7% received MOUD at any point in the year following overdose. MOUD was associated with a large decrease in repeat overdose risk among those with index overdose involving heroin/synthetic opioids (HR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.20-0.46). Among those receiving MOUD at any point in follow-up, 10.5% (112/1065) experienced repeat overdose versus 22.1% (848/3833) for those without MOUD.
CONCLUSIONS
Repeat overdose was common among individuals with medically-treated opioid overdose. Risk factors for repeat overdose varied by type of opioid involved in index overdose, with differential implications for intervention. MOUD following index opioid overdose involving heroin/synthetic opioids was associated with reduced repeat overdose risk.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Child; Drug Overdose; Humans; Male; Medicaid; Middle Aged; Opiate Overdose; Opioid-Related Disorders; Retrospective Studies; Survivors; United States; Young Adult
PubMed: 35038609
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109269 -
Journal of Epidemiology and Community... Apr 2020A lack of large-scale, individually linked data often has impeded efforts to disentangle individual-level variability in outcomes from area-level variability in studies...
BACKGROUND
A lack of large-scale, individually linked data often has impeded efforts to disentangle individual-level variability in outcomes from area-level variability in studies of many diseases and conditions. This study investigated individual and county-level variability in outcomes following non-fatal overdose in a state-wide cohort of opioid overdose patients.
METHODS
Participants were 24 031 patients treated by emergency medical services or an emergency department for opioid-involved overdose in Indiana between 2014 and 2017. Outcomes included repeat non-fatal overdose, fatal overdose and death. County-level predictors included sociodemographic, socioeconomic and treatment availability indicators. Individual-level predictors included age, race, sex and repeat non-fatal opioid-involved overdose. Multilevel models examined outcomes following non-fatal overdose as a function of patient and county characteristics.
RESULTS
10.9% (n=2612) of patients had a repeat non-fatal overdose, 2.4% (n=580) died of drug overdose and 9.2% (n=2217) died overall. Patients with a repeat overdose were over three times more likely to die of drug-related causes (OR=3.68, 99.9% CI 2.62 to 5.17, p<0.001). County-level effects were limited primarily to treatment availability indicators. Higher rates of buprenorphine treatment providers were associated with lower rates of mortality (OR=0.82, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.97, p=0.024), but the opposite trend was found for naltrexone treatment providers (OR=1.20, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.39, p=0.021). Cross-level interactions showed higher rates of Black deaths relative to White deaths in counties with high rates of naltrexone providers (OR=1.73, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.73, p=0.019).
CONCLUSION
Although patient-level differences account for most variability in opioid-related outcomes, treatment availability may contribute to county-level differences, necessitating multifaceted approaches for the treatment and prevention of opioid abuse.
Topics: Adult; Black or African American; Analgesics, Opioid; Black People; Cohort Studies; Emergency Medical Services; Ethnicity; Female; Humans; Indiana; Local Government; Male; Middle Aged; Multilevel Analysis; Naltrexone; Narcotic Antagonists; Opiate Overdose; Opioid-Related Disorders; White People
PubMed: 31919146
DOI: 10.1136/jech-2019-212915 -
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Dec 2023Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies respond to hundreds of thousands of acute overdose events each year. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of EMS patients...
BACKGROUND
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies respond to hundreds of thousands of acute overdose events each year. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of EMS patients who survived a prior opioid overdose in 2019-2021 in King County, Washington.
METHODS
A novel record linkage algorithm was applied to EMS electronic health records and the state vital statistics registry to identify repeat overdoses and deaths that occurred up to 3 years following the index opioid overdose. We measured overdose incidence rates and applied survival analysis techniques to assess all-cause and overdose-specific mortality risks.
RESULTS
In the year following the index opioid overdose, the overdose (fatal or non-fatal) incidence rate was 23.3 per 100 person-year, overdose mortality rate was 2.7 per 100 person-year, and all-cause mortality rate was 5.2 per 100 person-year in this cohort of overdose survivors (n=4234). Overdose incidence was highest in the first 30 days following the index overdose (43 opioid overdoses and 4 fatal overdoses per 1000 person-months), declined precipitously, and then plateaued from the third month onwards (10-15 opioid overdoses and 1-2 fatal overdoses per 1000 person-months). Overdose incidence rates, measured at 30 days, were highest among overdose survivors who were young, male, and experienced a low severity index opioid overdose, but these differences diminished when measured at 12 months.
CONCLUSIONS
Among EMS patients who survived an opioid overdose, the risk of subsequent overdose is high, especially in the weeks following the index opioid overdose. Non-fatal overdose may represent a pivotal time to connect patients with harm-reduction, treatment, and other support services.
Topics: Humans; Male; Opiate Overdose; Washington; Analgesics, Opioid; Retrospective Studies; Drug Overdose; Emergency Medical Services
PubMed: 37984033
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111009 -
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Feb 2021Polysubstance involvement is increasing among fatal drug overdoses. However, little is known about the epidemiology of polysubstance drug overdoses. This paper describes...
BACKGROUND
Polysubstance involvement is increasing among fatal drug overdoses. However, little is known about the epidemiology of polysubstance drug overdoses. This paper describes emerging trends in unintentional polysubstance overdose deaths in North Carolina (NC) and examines associations with individual and community factors.
METHODS
Using 2009-2018 NC death certificate data, we identified unintentional drug overdose deaths and commonly involved substances (opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines, alcohol, and antiepileptics). We examined polysubstance combinations, comparing opioid and non-opioid involved deaths. We examined individual level correlates from death certificate data and community level correlates from the American Community Survey and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings to quantify associations.
RESULTS
From 2009-2018, 53 % of opioid and 19 % of non-opioid overdose deaths involved multiple substances. During this period, polysubstance overdose death increased dramatically, from 2.9 to 12.1 per 100,000 persons, with the greatest increases among drug combinations involving stimulants. The most common polysubstance combinations were: opioids and stimulants (12.1 % of overdose deaths); opioids and benzodiazepines (9.0 %); opioids and alcohol (5.1 %); opioids, stimulants, and benzodiazepines (3.1 %); and opioids, benzodiazepines, and antiepileptics (2.2 %). Compared to overdoses involving opioids alone, overdoses involving combinations of opioids, stimulants, and benzodiazepines involved younger individuals (53.7 % in 15-34 years of age vs. 40.7 %). Men comprised two-thirds of overdoses involving opioids alone, however, overdoses involving opioids, benzodiazepines, and antiepileptics were predominantly among women (60.6 %).
CONCLUSIONS
Polysubstance involvement has increased among overdose deaths in NC. These findings can be used to inform public health interventions addressing polysubstance deaths and associated individual and community level factors.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Benzodiazepines; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Drug Overdose; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; North Carolina; Opiate Overdose; Public Health; Young Adult
PubMed: 33429292
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108504