TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2024//
TI  - Estimating the ratio of fatal to non-fatal overdoses involving all drugs, all opioids, synthetic opioids, heroin or stimulants, USA, 2010-2020
JO  - Injury prevention
A1  - Casillas, Shannon M.
A1  - Pickens, Cassandra M.
A1  - Tanz, Lauren J.
A1  - Vivolo-Kantor, Alana M.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - INTRODUCTION: US drug overdose deaths are at historic levels. For every fatal drug overdose, there are many more non-fatal; however, minimal nationally representative data exist on trends in the ratio of fatal to non-fatal drug overdoses and how this differs by drug type. <br><br>METHODS: Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Vital Statistics System were used to assess the number of fatal overdoses; data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample database were used to estimate the number of non-fatal overdoses treated in emergency departments. Counts of fatal and non-fatal overdoses by drug type (all drug, all opioid, synthetic opioid, heroin, stimulant, and opioid and stimulant polysubstance) were calculated from 2010 to 2020 (for non-fatal synthetic opioid-involved overdoses, from 2016 to 2020 only). Trends in overdose counts and the ratio of fatal to non-fatal overdoses were assessed. <br><br>RESULTS: On average, counts of fatal overdoses increased quarterly among all drug types, and non-fatal overdoses increased among most drug types. Over the 11-year period, the greatest average quarterly percent change (AQPC) in fatal overdose counts was among synthetic opioid-involved overdoses (AQPC: 7.1%; 95% CI: 6.0 to 8.2) and for non-fatal overdoses was among heroin-involved overdoses (AQPC: 4.3%; 95% CI: 3.9 to 4.8). During 2010‒2020, there was approximately 1 fatal overdose per 15 non-fatal. The ratio of fatal to non-fatal drug overdoses increased among every drug type except heroin; ratio increases were driven by greater relative increases in fatal overdoses compared with non-fatal. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of the ratio of fatal to non-fatal drug overdoses can be used to understand the lethality of different drugs and inform response and prevention efforts.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1353-8047
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-045091
ID  - ref1
ER  -