Characteristics of patients discharged from hospital after accidental opioid overdose and matched controls among patients with long-term prescription opioid use (≥180 days), 2006–2014
| Overdose patients n (%) | Controls n (%) | |
| Number of patients | 552 | 11 040 |
| Type of opioid overdose | ||
| Heroin | 14 (2.5) | n/a |
| Methadone | 43 (7.8) | n/a |
| Synthetic opioids* | 42 (7.6) | n/a |
| Other opioids† | 337 (61.1) | n/a |
| Unspecified/other opioids | 143 (25.9) | n/a |
| Sex | ||
| Female | 332 (60.1) | 6640 (60.1) |
| Male | 220 (39.9) | 4400 (39.9) |
| Age (years) | ||
| 19–29 | 14 (2.5) | 269 (2.4) |
| 30–39 | 41 (7.4) | 829 (7.5) |
| 40–49 | 89 (16.1) | 1771 (16.0) |
| 50–59 | 165 (29.9) | 3296 (29.9) |
| 60–69 | 129 (23.4) | 2562 (23.2) |
| 70–79 | 81 (14.7) | 1611 (14.6) |
| 80–89 | 25 (4.5) | 561 (5.1) |
| ≥90 | 8 (1.4) | 141 (1.3) |
| Low income | 141 (25.5) | 2607 (23.6) |
| Rural residence | 95 (17.2) | 1807 (16.4) |
| Substance use disorders‡ | ||
| Opioids | 58 (10.5) | 81 (0.7) |
| Sedatives and hypnotics | 14 (2.5) | 16 (0.1) |
| Stimulants | 17 (3.1) | 31 (0.3) |
| Other | 103 (18.7) | 284 (2.6) |
| Romano comorbidity score‡ | ||
| 0 | 202 (36.6) | 6038 (54.7) |
| 1–2 | 219 (39.7) | 3826 (34.7) |
| ≥3 | 131 (23.7) | 1176 (10.7) |
| Other medical history‡ | ||
| Psychiatric illness | 300 (54.3) | 2534 (23.0) |
| Pneumonia | 93 (16.8) | 405 (3.7) |
| Other respiratory illness | 162 (29.3) | 1709 (15.5) |
| HIV | <5 | 56 (0.5) |
| Hepatitis C | 15 (2.7) | 27 (0.2) |
| Cancer | 52 (9.4) | 822 (7.4) |
| Opioid prescription history§ | ||
| Methadone | 7 (1.3) | 20 (0.2) |
| Buprenorphine/naloxone | <5 | <5 |
| High-dose opioid for pain | 305 (55.3) | 2152 (19.5) |
| Duration of prescription opioid use (years) | ||
| <1 | 61 (11.1) | 1876 (17.0) |
| 1 to <2 | 92 (16.7) | 2362 (21.4) |
| 2 to <3 | 53 (9.6) | 1422 (12.9) |
| 3 to <4 | 47 (8.5) | 1006 (9.1) |
| 4 to <5 | 33 (6.0) | 797 (7.2) |
| ≥5 | 266 (48.2) | 3577 (32.4) |
| Other prescription history§ | ||
| Sedatives and hypnotics | 219 (39.7) | 2506 (22.7) |
| Stimulants | 10 (1.8) | 146 (1.3) |
Types of opioid overdose correspond to ICD-10 T40.0-T40.4 and T40.6.
*Includes buprenorphine, fentanyl, pethidine and tramadol.
†Includes codeine, hydromorphone, morphine and oxycodone .
‡Based on diagnoses at a physician or hospital visit in the 365 days before follow-up.
§Based on dispensings in the 180 days prior to follow-up. High-dose opioid use is defined by a dispensing of opioid pain medication of >90 oral morphine equivalents per day. Small cell sizes are denoted as '<5' or 0 as applicable.