Drug-related death in Denmark in 2007.

Introduction: We investigated fatal poisonings among drug addicts in 2007. The cause of death, abuse pattern and geographic differences are presented.

Material And Methods: All drug-related deaths examined at the three forensic medicine institutes in Denmark in 2007 were evaluated.

Postmortem detection of hepatitis B, C, and human immunodeficiency virus genomes in blood samples from drug-related deaths in Denmark*.

Blood-borne viral infections are widespread among injecting drug users; however, it is difficult to include these patients in serological surveys. Therefore, we developed a national surveillance program based on postmortem testing of persons whose deaths were drug related. Blood collected at autopsy was tested for anti-HBc, anti-HBs, anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV), or anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies using commercial kits.

[Deaths among drug addicts in Eastern Denmark 2005].

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate deaths among drug addicts in Eastern Denmark in 2005, partly fatal poisonings, partly deaths where the cause of death not was a poisoning and to compare the results with those reported in studies from 1991, 1997 and 2002.

Material And Methods: All deaths among drug addicts investigated at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Copenhagen.

Results: The number of deaths among drug addicts was 160 of which 64% were due to fatal poisoning.

[Fatal cases of poisoning in eastern Denmark during a five-year period (1998-2002)].

Introduction: The goal of this investigation was to determine the pattern of fatal poisonings in eastern Denmark from 1998 to 2002 and compare it with similar investigations from 1979 to 1996.

Materials And Methods: The material included 2,996 autopsies from eastern Denmark in which extensive forensic chemical investigations were performed.

Results: Of the 2,996 autopsies, 694 cases were drug addicts, in whom 497 fatal overdoses were detected, while in the remaining 2,302 cases of nonaddicts, 443 fatal poisonings were determined.

Surveillance of HIV and viral hepatitis by analysis of samples from drug related deaths.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of antibodies against HIV, hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) in postmortem samples from drug related deaths (DRDs) in Denmark.

Design: Prospective cohort study. Postmortem samples tested for anti-HIV, anti-HCV anti-HBc and anti-HBs.