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Mortality Risk Among Heroin Abusers: Clients and Non-clients of Public Treatment Centers for Drug Addiction.
- Source :
-
Substance Use & Misuse . Nov2015, Vol. 50 Issue 13, p1690-1696. 7p. 3 Charts. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- In Europe, the prevalence of problematic heroin consumption is declining but, in spite of the constant rise in the number of treated patients, many of them do not turn to a public treatment center (PTC) for their drug addiction. The aim of this study is to study the mortality risk separately for heroin abusers PTC clients and non-PTC clients (i.e. those never treated at a PTC). Methods: Cohort study on 959 subjects resident in the metropolitan area of Bologna who went to a health service (i.e. hospital, emergency unit) or to a PTC following problems due to heroin abuse for the first time between 01/01/2004 and 31/12/2009. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated, and regression analysis using the Poisson method was used. Results: Elevated and statistically significant SMRs were found in both genders, irrespective of the contact facility, being higher for PTC clients. Among non-PTC clients 28% of deaths overall were from AIDS or infectious diseases (6% PTC clients), 17% from opiate overdose (6% PTC clients) and 14% from violent causes (6% PTC clients). Multivariate analysis showed a higher mortality risk for patients who used both heroin and cocaine and for concomitant abuse of benzodiazepines. Conclusions: The characteristics of patients never before treated for addiction prompts a reflection on the presence of a hidden group of patients who are hard to reach, who have a high mortality risk and who turn to health care treatment facilities only in the event of an emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *MORTALITY of AIDS patients
*CONFIDENCE intervals
*CAUSES of death
*DRUG overdose
*HEROIN
*LONGITUDINAL method
*MULTIVARIATE analysis
*PROBABILITY theory
*SUBSTANCE abuse
*SUBSTANCE abuse treatment
*TREATMENT programs
*PSYCHOLOGY of drug abusers
*DATA analysis software
*DESCRIPTIVE statistics
*ODDS ratio
MORTALITY risk factors
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10826084
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 13
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Substance Use & Misuse
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 111312824
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3109/10826084.2015.1027932