title: Living conditions in the districts of Oslo and poisonings by substances of abuse treated at casualty clinic level.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of and acute poisoning by substances of abuse represent a major health problem and are often linked to social destitution. We describe associations between place of residence, living conditions and the incidence of poisoning by substances of abuse in Oslo.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who were 12 years of age or older and resident in Oslo and who were treated for acute poisoning by substances of abuse at the Oslo Accident and Emergency Outpatient Clinic (OAEOC) were included prospectively for a continuous period of one year, from October 2011 to September 2012. The 15 districts of Oslo were categorised into three groups of living conditions, from the best (I) to the poorest (III) living conditions, based on the City of Oslo's living conditions index. Homeless people were grouped separately. The incidence of poisoning by substances of abuse treated in the OAEOC was estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 1,560 poisonings by substances of abuse, 1,094 cases (70%) affected men. The median age was 41 years. The most frequent toxic agents were ethanol, with 915 cases (59%), and heroin, with 249 cases (16%). The incidence of poisoning by substances of abuse treated in the OAEOC per year per 1,000 inhabitants amounted to 1.75 in living conditions group I, to 2.76 in living conditions group II and 3.41 in living conditions group III. Living conditions group III had a significantly higher incidence than living conditions group II (p < 0.001), and living conditions group II had a significantly higher incidence than living conditions group I (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of acute poisoning by substances of abuse was higher, the poorer the living conditions in the district.
authors.affiliation: Oslo universitetssykehus.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akopian
authors.affiliation: Avdeling for allmennmedisin Universitetet i Oslo og Allmennlegevakten Legevakten i Oslo Helseetaten Oslo kommune.
authors.forename: Odd Martin
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Vallersnes
authors.affiliation: Akuttmedisinsk avdeling Oslo universitetssykehus.
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.affiliation: Klinikk for psykisk helse og avhengighet Oslo universitetssykehus og Avdeling for medisinsk atferdsvitenskap Institutt for medisinske basalfag Universitetet i Oslo.
authors.forename: Øivind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Ekeberg
authors.affiliation: Avdeling for allmennmedisin Universitetet i Oslo.
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brekke
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000506:poisoning; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000506:poisoning; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000506:poisoning; D002648:Child; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin / Q000506:poisoning; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012924:Social Conditions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012978:Sodium Oxybate / Q000506:poisoning; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000431:Ethanol; D003932:Heroin; D012978:Sodium Oxybate