Increase in overdoses of psychotropic and analgesic drugs in Finland--1969-1975.
Hospitalizations due to an overdose of analgesics, sedatives and hypnotics, antipsychotics and antidepressants, multiple drugs, and drug-alcohol combinations were studied. During the years 1969-1975, the admission rate for overdoses of psychotherapeutic agents increased 1.6-fold among males and 1.8-fold among females. The respective increases for drug-alcohol overdoses were 2.4-fold and 3.9-fold. Roughly one half of the above patients were 20-44 years of age. Case-fatality ratios were significantly (p less than 0.01) higher among both females and males with a multiple drug overdose than among the other overdose patients; 2.7% of male and 2.4% of female patients with multiple drug overdoses died, while the respective percentages for patients with other overdoses were 1.1 for males and 0.7 for females.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000700:Analgesics / Q000506:poisoning*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000506:poisoning*
D000700:Analgesics; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs