Journal ArticleDOI
Rates, characteristics and circumstances of methamphetamine-related death in Australia: a national 7-year study.
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TLDR
While toxicity was the most frequent cause, natural disease, suicide and accident comprised more than half of deaths, and methamphetamine death rates doubled in Australia from 2009 to 2015.Abstract:
Aims
To (1) assess trends in the number and mortality rates of methamphetamine-related death in Australia, 2009–15; (2) assess the characteristics and the cause, manner and circumstances of death; and (3) assess the blood methamphetamine concentrations and the presence of other drugs in methamphetamine-related death.
Design
Analysis of cases of methamphetamine-related death retrieved from the National Coronial Information System (NCIS).
Setting
Australia.
Cases
All cases in which methamphetamine was coded in the NCIS database as a mechanism contributing to death (n = 1649).
Measurements
Information was collected on cause and manner of death, demographics, location, circumstances of death and toxicology.
Findings
The mean age of cases was 36.9 years, and 78.4% were male. The crude mortality rate was 1.03 per 100 000. The rate increased significantly over time (P < 0.001), and at 2015 the mortality rate was 1.8 [confidence interval (CI) = 1.2–2.4] times that of 2009. Deaths were due to accidental drug toxicity (43.2%), natural disease (22.3%), suicide (18.2%), other accident (14.9%) and homicide (1.5%). In 40.8% of cases, death occurred outside the major capital cities. The median blood methamphetamine concentration was 0.17 mg/l, and cases in which only methamphetamine was detected had higher concentrations than other cases (0.30 versus 0.15 mg/l, P < 0.001). The median blood methamphetamine concentration varied within a narrow range (0.15–0.20 mg/l) across manner of death. In the majority (82.8%) of cases, substances other than methamphetamine were detected, most frequently opioids (43.1%) and hypnosedatives (38.0%).
Conclusions
Methamphetamine death rates doubled in Australia from 2009 to 2015. While toxicity was the most frequent cause, natural disease, suicide and accident comprised more than half of deaths.read more
Citations
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Prevalence and nature of cardiovascular disease in methamphetamine-related death: A national study.
TL;DR: Cardiovascular disease was highly prevalent, despite the relatively young age of cases, with methamphetamine use increasing rapidly in major regions, cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular-related death will likely increase amongst methamphetamine users.
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Resurgent Methamphetamine Use at Treatment Admission in the United States, 2008–2017
TL;DR: Treatment admissions involving methamphetamine use increased significantly over the past decade and appear to be linked to the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States.
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Infectious Disease Transmission in Solid Organ Transplantation: Donor Evaluation, Recipient Risk, and Outcomes of Transmission
Sarah L. White,William D. Rawlinson,William D. Rawlinson,Peter Boan,Vicky Sheppeard,Germaine Wong,Germaine Wong,Germaine Wong,Karen Waller,Helen Opdam,John M. Kaldor,Michael A Fink,Deborah Verran,Angela C Webster,Angela C Webster,Kate Wyburn,Kate Wyburn,Lindsay Grayson,Allan R. Glanville,Nicholas B Cross,Ashley Irish,Ashley Irish,Toby Coates,Toby Coates,A. Griffin,Greg Snell,Stephen I. Alexander,Scott B. Campbell,Steven J. Chadban,Steven J. Chadban,Peter S. Macdonald,Peter S. Macdonald,Paul Manley,Eva Mehakovic,Vidya Ramachandran,Alicia B. Mitchell,Alicia B. Mitchell,Alicia B. Mitchell,Michael G. Ison +38 more
TL;DR: In 2016, the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand, with the support of the Australian Government Organ and Tissue authority, commissioned a literature review on the topic of infectious disease transmission from deceased donors to recipients of solid organ transplants as discussed by the authors.
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Methamphetamine use and future risk for Parkinson's disease: Evidence and clinical implications.
TL;DR: The use of methamphetamine may be an initiating event in the development of PD and parkinsonism, in addition to other risk factors that a given individual may hold.
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Characteristics and circumstances of synthetic cannabinoid-related death.
TL;DR: There was a high representation of relatively older decedents and of older males in particular, and while acute toxicity was the most common cause of death, cardiovascular disease was prominent.
References
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TL;DR: The current public image of methamphetamine does not portray adequately the extensive, and in many cases insidious, harms caused.