Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Tea Rosic, Gillian Kolla, Pamela Leece, Sophie Kitchen, Tara Gomes
Summary: Rates of opioid-related deaths are increasing among youths in Ontario, Canada while the use of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is declining. Further investigation is needed to understand the reasons behind these trends and to optimize care for youths who use substances.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Aryn Z. Phillips, Lori A. Post, Maryann Mason
Summary: This cross-sectional study examines the frequency of alcohol abuse in accidental deaths caused by opioid overdose in Illinois between 2017 and 2020.
Article
Substance Abuse
Julie O'Donnell, R. Matt Gladden, Mbabazi Kariisa, Christine L. Mattson
Summary: Integrating medical examiner/coroner report data can improve identification of specific drugs contributing to overdose deaths and enhance overdose intervention targeting for better outcomes.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Xiaying Zhu, Mingzhu Yang, Ge Liu, Yanju Liu, Weijing Li, Sulan Nan, Linhai Sun
Summary: This study explores the potential signal for summer precipitation over the Yangtze River basin and reveals a significant correlation between the Tibetan Plateau tropospheric temperature (TPTT) in the preceding December-January and the JJ YRB precipitation. The study suggests that the DJ TPTT anomaly is closely related to DJ ENSO and spring TP soil temperatures, and it can serve as an alternative predictor of the JJ YRB precipitation.
ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Julie O'Donnell, Lauren J. Tanz, Kimberly D. Miller, Amanda T. Dinwiddie, Jessica Wolff, Sasha Mital, Rochelle Obiekwe, Christine L. Mattson
Summary: This report analyzes overdose deaths related to counterfeit pill use between July 2019 and December 2021 in 29 states and the District of Columbia. The percentage of deaths with evidence of counterfeit pill use more than doubled during this period, with a significant increase in western jurisdictions. Illicitly manufactured fentanyls were the primary cause of death in cases with evidence of counterfeit pill use.
MMWR-MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Howard H. Chang, Haisu Zhang, Amanda D. Latimore, Brian P. Murray, Rohan R. D'Souza, Noah Scovronick, Matthew O. Gribble, Stefanie T. Ebelt
Summary: This study investigates the impact of ambient temperature on drug-related emergency department visits and finds positive associations between daily temperature and visits for amphetamine, cocaine, and opioid use and overdose. The study suggests that individuals who use stimulants and opioids may be more sensitive to short-term higher ambient temperature.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Pirkko Kriikku, Ilkka Ojanpera
Summary: The study found that gabapentinoids are mainly implicated in fatal poisoning together with opioids, but in some cases, death may be caused by overuse of prescribed drugs or suicide. It is important to pay attention to different user groups who may be at risk of overdose by gabapentinoids.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wilson M. Compton, Rita J. Valentino, Robert L. DuPont
Summary: The U.S. opioid crisis is not limited to opioids, but also involves multiple substances. The overlap of different substances contributes to increased morbidity and mortality, and may have unique effects. Addressing the overlap between opioids and other substances is essential to maximize benefits in prevention, treatment, overdose reversal, public health surveillance, and research.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sihui Zhang, Tianshuo Zhao, Linyi Chen, Mingzhu Xie, Qing-Bin Lu, Juan Du, Jing Zeng, Ninghua Huang, Yaqiong Liu, Chao Wang, Fuqiang Cui
Summary: In China, adverse events following immunization (AEFI) are reported and evaluated. The most widely used HepB vaccine in China is yeast-derived. However, information regarding infant deaths caused by HepB is unclear. Data analysis from the CNAEFIS between 2013 and 2020 provides reliable evidence on the safety of HepB among infants in China.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
S. Nomura, A. Eguchi, Y. Tanoue, D. Yoneoka, T. Kawashima, M. Suzuki, M. Hashizume
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the weekly excess deaths in Japan's 47 prefectures for 2021 until June 27. The results showed that there were consecutive weeks of excess deaths in 18 of the 47 prefectures in Japan from April to June 2021. This may be due to the deaths of non-infected people caused by the disruption of the pandemic.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Athena Kheibari, Julie Cerel, Grant Victor
Summary: Research findings indicate that the public is more willing to intervene in cases of potential suicide, and there is greater stigmatization towards individuals who died from opioid overdose. Due to limited understanding of the complexities of stigma towards suicide and overdose deaths, learning more about attitudes towards overdose deaths can also aid in changing attitudes towards individuals with substance use disorder.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Chibuzor Abasilim, Alfreda Holloway-Beth, Lee S. S. Friedman
Summary: This study linked hospital and medical examiner data to determine potential undercount of opioid-involved deaths occurring in hospitals. The results showed that older patients with longer hospital stays and comorbid malignant cancer were less likely to have an autopsy following an opioid-involved death. However, decedents exposed to heroin and synthetic opioids, as well as those with concurrent exposure to stimulants, were more likely to have an autopsy. The study revealed undercounts of opioid overdose deaths ranging from 6% to 15%.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Hilde Marie Eroy Edvardsen, Carl Aamodt, Stig Tore Bogstrand, Peter Krajci, Vigdis Vindenes, Eline Borger Rognli
Summary: The aim of this study was to compare concentrations of psychoactive substances in blood in non-fatal and fatal opioid overdoses. The results showed that fatal overdoses had higher concentrations of opioids, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines compared to non-fatal overdoses. The study also found a linear relationship between naloxone and concomitant opioid concentrations.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonatan Walde, Lisa Andersson, Bjorn Johnson, Anders Hakansson
Summary: This study found a temporal association between the drugs prescribed to individuals with a history of illicit substance use who died with opioids present in their blood, and the drugs found in their blood at the time of death. Prescription of certain drugs, especially alprazolam and diazepam, was significantly associated with death. These findings suggest the need for caution when prescribing these drugs to patients with a history of illicit substance use or concurrent use of opioids.
Article
Substance Abuse
Eleni Domzaridou, Matthew J. Carr, Tim Millar, Roger T. Webb, Darren M. Ashcroft
Summary: A cohort study in England found that concurrent use of benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, gabapentinoids, antidepressants, Z-drugs or opioids increases the risk of non-fatal overdose among recipients of opioid agonist treatment.
