Comparing rates and characteristics of ambulance attendances related to extramedical use of pharmaceutical opioids in Victoria, Australia from 2013 to 2018.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Despite increases in opioid prescribing and related morbidity and mortality, few studies have comprehensively documented harms across opioid types. We examined a population-wide indicator of extramedical pharmaceutical opioid-related harm to determine if the supply-adjusted rates of ambulance presentations, the severity of presentations or other attendance characteristics differed by opioid type.

Design

Retrospective observational study of coded ambulance patient care records related to extramedical pharmaceutical opioid use, January 2013 to September 2018.

Setting

Australia CASES: Primary analyses used Victorian data (n = 9823), with available data from other Australian jurisdictions (n = 4338) used to determine generalizability.

Measurements</

SUBMITTER: Nielsen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7317708 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature