A recent retrospective observational study of 3 Massachusetts hospitals evaluated patients treated for nonfatal opioid overdose in the Emergency Department. What percentage of these patients died from any cause within 1 year?
5.5% (635/11,557) died within 1 year of their ED visit.
130 patients (1.1%) died within 1 month, and 29 (0.25%) died within 2 days of their ED visit for nonfatal opioid overdose. The article concluded these patients have a high short-term and 1-year mortality and should be offered treatment or referral to treatment prior to ED discharge.
Weiner SG, Baker O, Bernson D, Schuur JD. One-Year Mortality of Patients After Emergency Department Treatment for Nonfatal Opioid Overdose. Ann Emerg Med. 2020 Jan;75(1):13-17. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.04.020. Epub 2019 Jun 20. PMID: 31229387; PMCID: PMC6920606.
Submitted by: Emily Kershner, MD on behalf of The Medical Toxicology Fellowship Virginia Commonwealth University