Mortality related to pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence: a comparative analysis of coronial records.

Introduction And Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the mortality associated with oral naltrexone, methadone and buprenorphine in opioid dependence treatment, employing a retrospective data analysis using coronial and prescription data.

Design And Methods: The number of deaths were identified through national coronial data and number of treatment recipients were estimated from 2000 to 2003 prescriptions and restricted medications data. Mortality rates were expressed as deaths per number of treatment episodes and per person-years at high and low risk of fatal opioid overdose.

Opioid overdose deaths can occur in patients with naltrexone implants.

From Australian coronial records, we identified five deaths involving implantable naltrexone between 2000 and 2004. One man died from acute narcotism with a naltrexone implant in place and a blood naltrexone level of 0.3 mg/L.

The definition of opioid-related deaths in Australia: implications for surveillance and policy.

The reported number of deaths caused by opioid use depends on the definition of an opioid-related death. In this study, we used Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) mortality data to illustrate how choice of classification codes used to record cause of death can impact on the statistics reported for national surveillance of opioid deaths. Using International Classification of Diseases version 10 (ICD-10) codes from ABS mortality data 1997-2002, we examined all deaths where opioids were reported as a contributing or underlying cause.

The effect of a reduction in heroin supply on fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses in New South Wales, Australia.

Objective: To examine the impact of a sudden and dramatic decrease in heroin availability, concomitant with increases in price and decreases in purity, on fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses in New South Wales, Australia.

Design And Setting: Time-series analysis was conducted where possible on data on overdoses collected from NSW hospital emergency departments, the NSW Ambulance Service, and all suspected drug-related deaths referred to the NSW Coroner's court.

Main Outcome Measures: The number of suspected drug-related deaths where heroin and other drugs were mentioned; ambulance calls to suspected opioid overdoses; and emergency department admissions for overdoses on heroin and other drugs.

The effects of restricting publicly subsidised temazepam capsules on benzodiazepine use among injecting drug users in Australia.

Objective: To assess the effect of a restriction on publicly subsidised temazepam 10 mg capsules upon the injection of benzodiazepines by injecting drug users (IDUs).

Design And Participants: Cross-sectional study of regular IDUs targeting periods before and after the policy change. Analysis of prescription data, including time-series analysis.

CDT, GGT, and AST as markers of alcohol use: the WHO/ISBRA collaborative project.

Background: Estimates of the performance of carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) as markers of alcohol consumption have varied widely. Studies have differed in design and subject characteristics. The WHO/ISBRA Collaborative Study allows assessment and comparison of CDT, GGT, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) as markers of drinking in a large, well-characterized, multicenter sample.