scholarly journals Pandemic meets epidemic: Co-location of COVID-19 and drug overdose deaths in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 174-178
Author(s):  
Navya Tripathi ◽  
Nancy Hardt
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Spatial Correlation ◽  
Drug Overdose ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Access To Treatment ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Overdose Deaths

Drug overdose deaths (DOD) in the last two decades have increased over 300 percent. In 2019 alone, 71,000 deaths represented a 7% increase from the previous year. According to recent data released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 81,230 overdose deaths occurred in the United States from June 2019 to May 2020, the highest number of DOD recorded in a 12-month period. Early 2020 saw the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, which CDC suggests has amplified the previously alarming rise in drug-related mortalities. A hot spot analysis of COVID-19 and DOD rates, as well as a spatial correlation between the two datasets at the state level on a monthly time step, showed a significant increase in DOD during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study, conducted for the period of March through July 2021, showed a spatial correlation between the two types of mortalities in the initial months of 2020. Furthermore, the hot spots for both types of mortalities were concentrated in the northeastern states. The COVID-19 mortalities shifted southeast in July 2020, but DOD data was unavailable for further analysis. Since DOD are a leading contributor to preventable deaths, the results of the study may help focus the efforts of effective and innovative programs to reduce substance use disorder and related mortality through increased access to treatment. During the pandemic, access to such facilities was reduced.

scholarly journals A case of a mixed overdose involving kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) leading to serotonin syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 689-691
Author(s):  
H. Reid Zweifel ◽  
Jonathan Browne ◽  
Jeffrey M Levine
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drug Overdose ◽  
Serotonin Syndrome ◽  
The United States ◽  
Opiate Withdrawal ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mitragyna Speciosa ◽  
Overdose Deaths ◽  
Acute Intake ◽  
Μ Receptor

Objective: Drug overdose deaths have risen precipitously over the past two years in the United States. Polysubstance overdose with opiates and amphetamines have been of particular concern. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is an unregulated widely available herb with both stimulant and opiate μ-receptor activity. Studies suggest that its use is quickly increasing. Case: We describe a patient who presented to a psychiatric hospital with a mixed toxic syndrome due to chronic kratom and prescribed SSRI use compounded by acute intake of methamphetamine. The patient displayed psychosis, tremulousness, myoclonus, and extreme anxiety. Her clinical picture was consistent with both serotonin syndrome and opiate withdrawal. Conclusion: We call attention to this case because polysubstance overdoses are common, and kratom is widely available. Complex toxic presentations that involve kratom are likely to be increasingly encountered.

Prescription Medication Misuse

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (06) ◽  
pp. 654-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeoffrey Hill ◽  
Daniel Alford
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drug Overdose ◽  
Prescription Medication ◽  
The United States ◽  
Prescription Medications ◽  
Medication Misuse ◽  
Illicit Market ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Overdose Deaths ◽  
Related Harm

AbstractIn the United States, there is a prescription medication misuse crisis including increases in unintentional drug overdose deaths, medications obtained on the illicit market (i.e., diversion), and in the number of individuals seeking treatment for addiction to prescription medications. Neurologists manage patients suffering from conditions (e.g., pain, seizures, spasticity) where the prescriptions of medications with misuse potential are indicated. It is therefore imperative that neurologists understand which medications are liable to misuse and institute strategies to minimize the harm associated with these medications. The authors review the most common medications prescribed by neurologist with misuse potential, and briefly discuss the behaviors that are suggestive of medication misuse and tools for monitoring patients to minimize medication-related harm from misuse.

scholarly journals Mortality among Adults Ages 25-44 in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Samuel Faust ◽  
Harlan M. Krumholz ◽  
Katherine L. Dickerson ◽  
Zhenqiu Lin ◽  
Cleavon Gilman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
The United States ◽  
Relative Increase ◽  
Opioid Overdose ◽  
Public Data ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Incident Rate ◽  
Opioid Deaths ◽  
Overdose Deaths

AbstractIntroductionCoronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has caused a marked increase in all-cause deaths in the United States, mostly among adults aged 65 and older. Because younger adults have far lower infection fatality rates, less attention has been focused on the mortality burden of COVID-19 in this demographic.MethodsWe performed an observational cohort study using public data from the National Center for Health Statistics at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and CDC Wonder. We analyzed all-cause mortality among adults ages 25-44 during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Further, we compared COVID-19-related deaths in this age group during the pandemic period to all drug overdose deaths and opioid-specific overdose deaths in each of the ten Health and Human Services (HHS) regions during the corresponding period of 2018, the most recent year for which data are available.ResultsAs of September 6, 2020, 74,027 all-cause deaths occurred among persons ages 25-44 years during the period from March 1st to July 31st, 2020, 14,155 more than during the same period of 2019, a 23% relative increase (incident rate ratio 1.23; 95% CI 1.21–1.24), with a peak of 30% occurring in May (IRR 1.30; 95% CI 1.27-1.33). In HHS Region 2 (New York, New Jersey), HHS Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), and HHS Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada), COVID-19 deaths exceeded 2018 unintentional opioid overdose deaths during at least one month. Combined, 2,450 COVID-19 deaths were recorded in these three regions during the pandemic period, compared to 2,445 opioid deaths during the same period of 2018.MeaningWe find that COVID-19 has likely become the leading cause of death—surpassing unintentional overdoses—among young adults aged 25-44 in some areas of the United States during substantial COVID-19 outbreaks.NoteThe data presented here have since been updated. As a result, an additional 1,902 all-cause deaths occurring among US adults ages 25-44 during the period of interest are not accounted for in this manuscript.

scholarly journals Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999–2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Hedegaard ◽  
Arialdi M. Miniño ◽  
Merianne Rose Spencer ◽  
Margaret Warner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drug Overdose ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vital Statistics ◽  
Demographic Group ◽  
Overdose Deaths

This report uses the most recent data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to update statistics on deaths from drug overdose in the United States, showing rates by demographic group and by specific types of drugs involved (such as opioids or stimulants), with a focus on changes from 2019 to 2020.

scholarly journals Changes in Synthetic Opioid Involvement in Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2010-2016

JAMA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 319 (17) ◽  
pp. 1819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Jones ◽  
Emily B. Einstein ◽  
Wilson M. Compton
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drug Overdose ◽  
The United States ◽  
Overdose Deaths

scholarly journals Impact of Drug Overdose Deaths on Solid Organ Transplantation in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1423-1425 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Cholankeril ◽  
Andrew A. Li ◽  
Rosann Cholankeril ◽  
Alice E. Toll ◽  
Jeffrey S. Glenn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Organ Transplantation ◽  
Drug Overdose ◽  
Solid Organ Transplantation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Solid Organ ◽  
Overdose Deaths

scholarly journals Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999–2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Hedegaard ◽  
Arialdi Miniño ◽  
Merianne Rose Spencer ◽  
Margaret Warner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drug Overdose ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vital Statistics ◽  
Demographic Group ◽  
Overdose Deaths

This report uses the most recent data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to update statistics on deaths from drug overdose in the United States, showing rates by demographic group and by specific types of drugs involved (such as opioids or stimulants), with a focus on changes from 2019 to 2020.

scholarly journals Mask mandate and use efficacy in state-level COVID-19 containment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian Guerra ◽  
Daniel J Guerra
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Transmission Rates ◽  
High Transmission ◽  
Lower Case ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Lower Infection

Background: Containment of the COVID-19 pandemic requires evidence-based strategies to reduce transmission. Because COVID-19 can spread via respired droplets, many states have mandated mask use in public settings. Randomized control trials have not clearly demonstrated mask efficacy against respiratory viruses, but observational studies suggest greater mask compliance may be associated with lower infection rates. We hypothesized that statewide mask mandates and mask use are associated with lower COVID-19 case growth rates in the United States. Methods: We calculated total COVID-19 case growth and mask use for the continental United States with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. We estimated post-mask mandate case growth in non-mandate states using median issuance dates of neighboring states with mandates. Results: Case growth was not significantly different between mandate and non-mandate states at low or high transmission rates, and surges were equivocal. Mask use predicted lower case growth at low, but not high transmission rates. Growth rates were comparable between states in the top and bottom mask use quintiles adjusted for normalized total cases early in the pandemic and unadjusted after peak Fall-Winter infections. Mask use did not predict Summer 2020 case growth for non-Northeast states or Fall-Winter 2020 growth for all states. Conclusions: Mask mandates and use are not associated with slower state-level COVID-19 spread during COVID-19 growth surges. COVID-19 containment requires future research and implementation of existing efficacious strategies.

Geopersonality of Preventable Death in the United States: Anger-Prone States and Opioid Deaths

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 624-631
Author(s):  
James Gerhart ◽  
Paul Duberstein ◽  
Danielle Paull ◽  
Sean O’Mahony ◽  
John Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Opioid Overdose ◽  
Preventable Death ◽  
Overdose Death ◽  
Overdose Deaths

Background: Opioid overdoses have reached epidemic levels in the United States and have clustered in Northeastern and “Rust Belt” states. Five Factor Model (FFM) personality traits also vary at the state level, with anger-prone traits clustered in the Northeast region. This study tested the hypothesis that state-level anger proneness would be associated with a greater increase in rates of opioid overdose death. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of state-level data on FFM traits, opioid overdose deaths, and other classes of preventable death. Robust mixed models tested whether change in rates of opioid overdose death from 2008 to 2016 was moderated by state-level anger proneness. Results: State-level anger proneness was significantly associated with greater increases in rates of opioid overdose deaths (B = 1.01, standard error = 0.19, P < .001, 95% confidence interval: 0.63-1.39). The slope of increase in opioid overdose death rates was 380% greater in anger-prone states and held after adjustment for potential confounders such as state-level prevalence of major depressive disorder, number of mental health facilities, and historical patterns of manufacturing decline. A similar pattern was observed between state-level anger proneness and benzodiazepine overdose deaths but was not significant for the latter after adjustment for potential confounders. Conclusion: These findings suggest that states characterized as more anger prone have experienced greater increases in opioid overdose deaths.

COVID-19 and the Drug Overdose Crisis: Uncovering the Deadliest Months in the United States, January‒July 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e8
Author(s):  
Joseph Friedman ◽  
Samir Akre
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Drug Overdose ◽  
The United States ◽  
Monthly Data ◽  
The Us ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Pandemic Response ◽  
Overdose Mortality ◽  
Monthly Drug

Objectives. To determine the magnitude of increases in monthly drug-related overdose mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Methods. We leveraged provisional records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided as rolling 12-month sums, which are helpful for smoothing, yet may mask pandemic-related spikes in overdose mortality. We cross-referenced these rolling aggregates with previous monthly data to estimate monthly drug-related overdose mortality for January through July 2020. We quantified historical errors stemming from reporting delays and estimated empirically derived 95% prediction intervals (PIs). Results. We found that 9192 (95% PI = 8988, 9397) people died from drug overdose in May 2020—making it the deadliest month on record—representing a 57.7% (95% PI = 54.2%, 61.2%) increase over May 2019. Most states saw large-magnitude increases, with the highest in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. We observed low concordance between rolling 12-month aggregates and monthly pandemic-related shocks. Conclusions. Unprecedented increases in overdose mortality occurred during the pandemic, highlighting the value of presenting monthly values alongside smoothed aggregates for detecting shocks. Public Health Implications. Drastic exacerbations of the US overdose crisis warrant renewed investments in overdose surveillance and prevention during the pandemic response and postpandemic recovery efforts. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print April 15, 2021: e1–e8. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306256 )

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