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Number of addictive substances used related to increased risk of unnatural death: a combined medico-legal and case-record study.

Brådvik, Louise LU ; Berglund, Mats LU ; Frank, Arne LU ; Lindgren, Anna LU and Löwenhielm, Peter LU (2009) In BMC Psychiatry 9(Aug 4).
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders have repeatedly been found to lead to premature death, i.e. drug-related death by disease, fatal intoxications, or trauma (accidents, suicide, undetermined suicide, and homicide). The present study examined the relationship between multi-drug substance use and natural and unnatural death. METHODS: All consecutive, autopsied patients who had been in contact with the Addiction Centre in Malmö University Hospital from 1993 to 1997 inclusive were investigated. Drug abuse was investigated blindly in the case records and related to the cause of death in 387 subjects. RESULTS: Every substance apart from alcohol used previously in life added to the risk of unnatural death in a linear way. There were independent... (More)
BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders have repeatedly been found to lead to premature death, i.e. drug-related death by disease, fatal intoxications, or trauma (accidents, suicide, undetermined suicide, and homicide). The present study examined the relationship between multi-drug substance use and natural and unnatural death. METHODS: All consecutive, autopsied patients who had been in contact with the Addiction Centre in Malmö University Hospital from 1993 to 1997 inclusive were investigated. Drug abuse was investigated blindly in the case records and related to the cause of death in 387 subjects. RESULTS: Every substance apart from alcohol used previously in life added to the risk of unnatural death in a linear way. There were independent increased risks of fatal heroin overdoses or undetermined suicide. Death by suicide and violent death were unrelated to additional abuse. CONCLUSION: The number of drugs used was related to an increased risk of unnatural death by undetermined suicide (mainly fatal intoxications) and heroin overdose. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
BMC Psychiatry
volume
9
issue
Aug 4
article number
48
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • wos:000269618700001
  • pmid:19653902
  • scopus:69549114616
  • pmid:19653902
ISSN
1471-244X
DOI
10.1186/1471-244X-9-48
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Clinical Health Promotion Centre (013065010), Psychiatry/Primary Care/Public Health (013240500), Division of Health Economics and Forensic Medicine (Closed 2012) (013040050), Psychiatry (Lund) (013303000), Mathematical Statistics (011015003)
id
28992f8f-3202-4175-9fc8-1d9c09626191 (old id 1470038)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19653902?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:32:19
date last changed
2022-05-17 00:52:55
@article{28992f8f-3202-4175-9fc8-1d9c09626191,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders have repeatedly been found to lead to premature death, i.e. drug-related death by disease, fatal intoxications, or trauma (accidents, suicide, undetermined suicide, and homicide). The present study examined the relationship between multi-drug substance use and natural and unnatural death. METHODS: All consecutive, autopsied patients who had been in contact with the Addiction Centre in Malmö University Hospital from 1993 to 1997 inclusive were investigated. Drug abuse was investigated blindly in the case records and related to the cause of death in 387 subjects. RESULTS: Every substance apart from alcohol used previously in life added to the risk of unnatural death in a linear way. There were independent increased risks of fatal heroin overdoses or undetermined suicide. Death by suicide and violent death were unrelated to additional abuse. CONCLUSION: The number of drugs used was related to an increased risk of unnatural death by undetermined suicide (mainly fatal intoxications) and heroin overdose.}},
  author       = {{Brådvik, Louise and Berglund, Mats and Frank, Arne and Lindgren, Anna and Löwenhielm, Peter}},
  issn         = {{1471-244X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{Aug 4}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Psychiatry}},
  title        = {{Number of addictive substances used related to increased risk of unnatural death: a combined medico-legal and case-record study.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-9-48}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/1471-244X-9-48}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}