Association between toxic drug events and encephalopathy in British Columbia, Canada: a cross-sectional analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Encephalopathy can occur from a non-fatal toxic drug event (overdose) which results in a partial or complete loss of oxygen to the brain, or due to long-term substance use issues. It can be categorized as a non-traumatic acquired brain injury or toxic encephalopathy. In the context of the drug toxicity crisis in British Columbia (BC), Canada, measuring the co-occurrence of encephalopathy and drug toxicity is challenging due to lack of standardized screening. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of encephalopathy among people who experienced a toxic drug event and examine the association between toxic drug events and encephalopathy.

Methods

Using a 20% random sample of BC residents from administrative health data, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis. Toxic drug

SUBMITTER: Xavier CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10329314 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature