[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.
Appellániz
Alfonso
A
Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Facultad de Farmacia, Area de Toxicología, Universidad del País Vasco (EHU-UPV).
Manzanaro
Ricardo
R
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