Characteristics of drug users who witness many overdoses: Implications for overdose prevention

Characteristics of persons who inject drugs and who witness opioid overdoses in Vietnam: a cross-sectional analysis to inform future overdose prevention programs

BACKGROUND Persons who use opioids have a high risk of overdose and associated mortality. In Vietnam, little is known about the characteristics of this population and the persons who are witness to those overdoses. One approach to combatting fatal overdose has been the use of peer interventions in which a friend or injecting partner administers overdose reversal medication, but availability in ...

London audit of drug-related overdose deaths: characteristics and typology, and implications for prevention and monitoring.

OBJECTIVES To describe the circumstances and draft a typology of drug-related overdose deaths. SETTING London, 2003. METHODS An audit of 148 drug overdose deaths (involving heroin, methadone, dihydrocodeine, cocaine, amphetamine or MDMA) investigated by coroners during 2003. Information extracted on toxicology, pathology and circumstances were used to identify drug(s) implicated in the deat...

maintenance therapy with opium tincture for injecting drug users; implications for prevention from viral infections

Circumstances and witness characteristics associated with overdose fatality.

STUDY OBJECTIVE Emergency physicians have an opportunity to provide overdose fatality prevention interventions to individuals at risk for experiencing or witnessing an overdose to reduce fatality. The present study uses data about the most recent overdose observed by a sample of inner-city drug users to determine the circumstances of overdose that are associated with overdose fatality. METHOD...

Characteristics of inmates witnessing overdose events in prison: implications for prevention in the correctional setting

BACKGROUND Although prevention of opiate overdose has been gaining attention as a harm reduction measure with community drug users, there is scarce information about drug overdose in prison. In correctional institutions without a drug free environment, awareness of overdose events is an important public health concern. This study explores the frequency with which inmates in a state penitentiary...