Who is Overdosing? An Updated Picture of Overdose Deaths From 2008 to 2015
Purpose: To determine the role of opioids in drug overdose deaths in Allen County, Indiana between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2015. Methods: File review of 418 overdose deaths was performed using Indiana State Department of Health death certificates available through the Allen County Coroner’...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2017-09-01
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| Series: | Health Services Research & Managerial Epidemiology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2333392817727424 |
| _version_ | 1819225324598067200 |
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| author | Gregory Eigner Brian Henriksen Philip Huynh David Murphy Christopher Brubaker Jana Sanders Deborah McMahan |
| author_facet | Gregory Eigner Brian Henriksen Philip Huynh David Murphy Christopher Brubaker Jana Sanders Deborah McMahan |
| author_sort | Gregory Eigner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: To determine the role of opioids in drug overdose deaths in Allen County, Indiana between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2015. Methods: File review of 418 overdose deaths was performed using Indiana State Department of Health death certificates available through the Allen County Coroner’s Office. Data from autopsy and toxicology reports and coroner-requested prescribing data from Indiana’s Prescription Monitoring Program were reviewed. Cause of death and available data were analyzed to identify patterns and trends related to overdose deaths. Results: Four hundred eighteen drug overdose deaths were identified (336 accidental, 66 intentional, and 16 undetermined). Mean age was 42.5 years, 88.5% were Caucasian, and 68.7% were employed. The majority of deaths occurred at a place of residence (71.4%) and with other people present (57.5% of the time). Depression was the most common comorbidity identified. The most common drug classes identified by toxicology were opioids, followed by benzodiazepines. Significant increases in both heroin (35% of deaths in 2015 versus 8.2% in 2013) and fentanyl (30% of deaths in 2015 versus 2.2% in 2011) were observed. Conclusions: Drug overdose continues to be a significant cause of death in Allen County. The majority of deaths were accidental and in relatively young, employed individuals. Prevention and awareness strategies should be encouraged, given that the majority of overdose deaths occurred at a place of residence with other people frequently present. Additional concerns about patterns of drug use were confirmed with marked increases in both heroin and fentanyl contributing to overdose deaths in the latter part of the study. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T10:07:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e6db8607f23240049071f05f36408cfa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2333-3928 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T10:07:47Z |
| publishDate | 2017-09-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Services Research & Managerial Epidemiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e6db8607f23240049071f05f36408cfa2022-12-21T17:51:03ZengSAGE PublishingHealth Services Research & Managerial Epidemiology2333-39282017-09-01410.1177/2333392817727424Who is Overdosing? An Updated Picture of Overdose Deaths From 2008 to 2015Gregory Eigner0Brian Henriksen1Philip Huynh2David Murphy3Christopher Brubaker4Jana Sanders5Deborah McMahan6 Fort Wayne Medical Education Program, Fort Wayne, IN, USA Fort Wayne Medical Education Program, Fort Wayne, IN, USA Department of Health, Fort Wayne–Allen County, Fort Wayne, IN, USA Fort Wayne Medical Education Program, Fort Wayne, IN, USA Fort Wayne Medical Education Program, Fort Wayne, IN, USA Department of Health, Fort Wayne–Allen County, Fort Wayne, IN, USA Department of Health, Fort Wayne–Allen County, Fort Wayne, IN, USAPurpose: To determine the role of opioids in drug overdose deaths in Allen County, Indiana between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2015. Methods: File review of 418 overdose deaths was performed using Indiana State Department of Health death certificates available through the Allen County Coroner’s Office. Data from autopsy and toxicology reports and coroner-requested prescribing data from Indiana’s Prescription Monitoring Program were reviewed. Cause of death and available data were analyzed to identify patterns and trends related to overdose deaths. Results: Four hundred eighteen drug overdose deaths were identified (336 accidental, 66 intentional, and 16 undetermined). Mean age was 42.5 years, 88.5% were Caucasian, and 68.7% were employed. The majority of deaths occurred at a place of residence (71.4%) and with other people present (57.5% of the time). Depression was the most common comorbidity identified. The most common drug classes identified by toxicology were opioids, followed by benzodiazepines. Significant increases in both heroin (35% of deaths in 2015 versus 8.2% in 2013) and fentanyl (30% of deaths in 2015 versus 2.2% in 2011) were observed. Conclusions: Drug overdose continues to be a significant cause of death in Allen County. The majority of deaths were accidental and in relatively young, employed individuals. Prevention and awareness strategies should be encouraged, given that the majority of overdose deaths occurred at a place of residence with other people frequently present. Additional concerns about patterns of drug use were confirmed with marked increases in both heroin and fentanyl contributing to overdose deaths in the latter part of the study.https://doi.org/10.1177/2333392817727424 |
| spellingShingle | Gregory Eigner Brian Henriksen Philip Huynh David Murphy Christopher Brubaker Jana Sanders Deborah McMahan Who is Overdosing? An Updated Picture of Overdose Deaths From 2008 to 2015 Health Services Research & Managerial Epidemiology |
| title | Who is Overdosing? An Updated Picture of Overdose Deaths From 2008 to 2015 |
| title_full | Who is Overdosing? An Updated Picture of Overdose Deaths From 2008 to 2015 |
| title_fullStr | Who is Overdosing? An Updated Picture of Overdose Deaths From 2008 to 2015 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Who is Overdosing? An Updated Picture of Overdose Deaths From 2008 to 2015 |
| title_short | Who is Overdosing? An Updated Picture of Overdose Deaths From 2008 to 2015 |
| title_sort | who is overdosing an updated picture of overdose deaths from 2008 to 2015 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2333392817727424 |
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