title: Opioid overdose deaths can occur in patients with naltrexone implants.
abstract: From Australian coronial records, we identified five deaths involving implantable naltrexone between 2000 and 2004. One man died from acute narcotism with a naltrexone implant in place and a blood naltrexone level of 0.3 mg/L. A woman died of combined drug effect (including naltrexone) accompanied by severe pain from a naltrexone implant site. These cases indicate that patients can die from opioid overdose with a naltrexone implant and blood naltrexone levels higher than reported blockade levels.
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney. amy.gibson@med.unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Louisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Degenhardt
authors.forename: Wayne D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D004343:Drug Implants; D062787:Drug Overdose; D004357:Drug Synergism; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D004343:Drug Implants; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009271:Naltrexone