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Accuracy of Medical Examiner’s Assessment for Near–Real-Time Surveillance of Fatal Drug Overdoses, King County, Washington, March 2017–February 2018
- Source :
- Public Health Rep
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- SAGE Publications, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Objectives Up-to-date information on the occurrence of drug overdose is critical to guide public health response. The objective of our study was to evaluate a near–real-time fatal drug overdose surveillance system to improve timeliness of drug overdose monitoring. Methods We analyzed data on deaths in the King County (Washington) Medical Examiner’s Office (KCMEO) jurisdiction that occurred during March 1, 2017–February 28, 2018, and that had routine toxicology test results. Medical examiners (MEs) classified probable drug overdoses on the basis of information obtained through the death investigation and autopsy. We calculated sensitivity, positive predictive value, specificity, and negative predictive value of MEs’ classification by using the final death certificate as the gold standard. Results KCMEO investigated 2480 deaths; 1389 underwent routine toxicology testing, and 361 were toxicologically confirmed drug overdoses from opioid, stimulant, or euphoric drugs. Sensitivity of the probable overdose classification was 83%, positive predictive value was 89%, specificity was 96%, and negative predictive value was 94%. Probable overdoses were classified a median of 1 day after the event, whereas the final death certificate confirming an overdose was received by KCMEO an average of 63 days after the event. Conclusions King County MEs’ probable overdose classification provides a near–real-time indicator of fatal drug overdoses, which can guide rapid local public health responses to the drug overdose epidemic.
- Subjects :
- Washington
medicine.medical_specialty
030505 public health
business.industry
Public health
Medical examiner
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Drug overdose
medicine.disease
Analgesics, Opioid
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Humans
Medicine
Central Nervous System Stimulants
Public Health Evaluation
030212 general & internal medicine
Medical emergency
Drug Overdose
0305 other medical science
business
Coroners and Medical Examiners
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14682877 and 00333549
- Volume :
- 137
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Public Health Reports
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....d7b374164e66b01d4f69ae8073efd55c