TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - Association between routes of drug administration and all-cause mortality among drug users
JO  - Journal of substance use
A1  - Onyeka, Ifeoma N.
A1  - Basnet, Sushil
A1  - Beynon, Caryl M.
A1  - Tiihonen, Jari
A1  - Föhr, Jaana
A1  - Kauhanen, Jussi
SP  - 559
EP  - 565
VL  - 21
IS  - 6
N2  - Mortality among drug users based upon routes of administration (ROA) is less studied. We examined deaths by ROA, and association between ROA and all-cause deaths. Data of 2766 primary users of opiates and stimulants who sought treatment in Helsinki, Finland, from 1997 to 2008 were linked to the national cause-of-death register. Cox regression models were used to compute adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for all-cause deaths, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). There were statistically significant differences in all-cause deaths by ROA reported at baseline interview (p = 0.012): 12.7% (n = 251/1976) among intravenous (IV) drug users, 11.5% (n = 27/235) among oral users, 7.9% (n = 12/152) among smokers, 6.9% (n = 19/276) among snorters, and 16.5% (n = 21/127) among those with unspecified ROA. IV users died more from accidental overdose relative to other specified routes (p = 0.036). All nine HIV and all three hepatitis C deaths occurred among IV users. The hazard for all-cause death was lower among smokers compared to IV users (aHR: 0.52 (95%CI: 0.28-0.97) after adjusting for gender, homelessness, drug use behaviours, and psychiatric comorbidities present at baseline. Deaths occurred in all groups: drug users in general need to be educated that no route of drug administration is harmless. Preventive and intervention measures should target all ROA.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1465-9891
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/14659891.2015.1112847
ID  - ref1
ER  -