[Characteristics of the poisoning mortality in the 1986-2001 period in the Autonomous Basque Community, Spain].
BACKGROUND
Acute drug-related deaths are frequent, giving rise to high Potential Years of Life Lost figures. The objectives of this research are to ascertain the trend in the acute drug-related death rate in the Autonomous Basque Community and the variance thereof in terms of different variables.


METHODS
The drug-related death rate data from the Autonomous Basque Community's Death Register for the 1986-2001 period was analyzed overall in terms of different demographic variables and by cause of death (ICD-9 and ICD-10). The analysis includes gross death rates and standardized rates by European population. The potential years of life lost are calculated.


RESULTS
Acute drug-related deaths numbering 1,207 in all were recorded during the period under study, totaling 045% of all deaths, for a gross rate of 3.58 deaths/100,000 inhabitants. The mean Potential Years of Life Lost were 2,226.33/year, for a rate of 1.12/1000. A total of 75.97% of these deaths were males, the average age at time of death having been 40.29 years (36.09 for males and 52.64 for females). The etiology most often involved was: accidental (82.19%), followed by intentional (12.43%) and undetermined (5.38%)-. Accidental poisoning by other drugs (E-850 in ICD-9, X44 in ICD-10) was the leading cause of death (42.30% and 34.75% respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
There has been an increase in the number of acute drug-related deaths throughout the period studied, the accidental prescribed drug overdose being the main cause, entailing statistically significant differences by sex and age.
Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Facultad de Farmacia, Area de Toxicología, Universidad del País Vasco (EHU-UPV).
Alfonso
A
Appellániz
Ricardo
R
Manzanaro
D000059:Accidents; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013405:Suicide