title: [Deaths among drug addicts in Denmark. A forensic medical study of deaths among drug addicts during the period 1991-1992 related to the period 1984-1985].
abstract: This study includes all deaths among drug addicts in the years 1991 (n = 219) and 1992 (n = 214) investigated at the three institutes of forensic medicine in Denmark. The results are compared with deaths among drug addicts in 1984-1985. The number of deaths among drug addicts increased by approximately 50% in 1991-1992 compared with 1984-1985. The increase was most significant among drug addicts over 35 years of age. The cause of death was intoxication in three-quarters of the cases in 1991-1992. In half of these cases heroin/morphine had caused death, while intoxications caused by methadone accounted for approximately 30% of the cases. In the metropolitan area the frequency of methadone intoxications increased significantly compared with 1984-1985, whereas the number of heroin/morphine intoxications did not change. Outside the metropolitan area, however, a significant increase in heroin/morphine intoxications was noticed. In all parts of the country the number of propoxyphene intoxications decreased to a few annual cases. The most commonly used drugs of abuse were heroin/morphine, diazepam and methadone, often in combination with alcohol.
authors.affiliation: Københavns Universitet, Retsmedicinsk Institut, retskemisk afdeling.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steentoft
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaa
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Simonsen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kringsholm
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Worm
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toft
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dragsholt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D062787:Drug Overdose; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000401:mortality; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality*
vernacular_title: Narkomandødsfald i Danmark. En retsmedicinsk undersøgelse af narkomandødsfald 1991-1992 relateret til 1984-1985.