ACCIDENTAL SELF-POISONING IN DRUG-DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS (FROM PROBLEMS OF DRUG ABUSE IN BRITAIN, 1978, BY D J WEST - SEE NCJ-48378)

• NCJ Number: 48383
• Author(s): A H GHODSE; N S B RAWSON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Cambridge
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

CASES OF SELF-POISONING WITH DRUGS DESCRIBED AS ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE ARE EXAMINED, AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS ARE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF PATIENTS WHOSE OVERDOSES ARE DESCRIBED AS DELIBERATE.

Abstract

A 1-MONTH SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN 62 CASUALTY DEPARTMENTS IN GREATER LONDON IN THE SUMMER OF 1975. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED BY THE CASUALTY OFFICERS TO ALL PATIENTS WHO CAME TO THEM DURING THE MONTH OF SURVEY WITH AN OVERDOSE OR OTHER DRUG-RELATED PROBLEMS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE RECORDED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE AGE AND SEX OF THE PATIENTS, THE DRUG OR DRUGS OF ABUSE AND SELF-POISONING, AND THE UNDERLYING REASON FOR A DRUG OVERDOSE. 'REASON' WAS CLASSIFIED EITHER AS A 'SUICIDAL ATTEMPT OR GESTURE' OR AS AN OVERDOSE IN THE COURSE OF ADDICTIVE DRUG TAKING'. THERE WAS A THIRD CATEGORY CLASSIFYING THE REASON FOR THE OVERDOSE AS 'UNKNOWN,' THE CASUALTY OFFICERS WERE ALSO ASKED TO ASSESS THE DEPENDENCE STATUS OF THE PATIENTS FROM DEFINED CRITERIA. THIS REPORT IS CONCERNED WITH THOSE PATIENTS OVER THE AGE OF 15 YEARS WHOSE DRUG OVERDOSE WAS CONSIDERED 'ACCIDENTAL.' THERE WERE 141 INCIDENTS OF 'ACCIDENTAL' SELF-POISONING, WITH 41 PERCENT INVOLVING MORE THAN ONE DRUG. SIXTY PERCENT OF THE INCIDENTS OCURRED WITH THOSE AGED BETWEEN 15 AND 30 YEARS. IT IS INDICATED THAT IN SOME CASES THE OVERDOSE OCCURRED UNINTENTIONALLY WHILE THE PATIENT WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH DRUGS. OVER THE AGE OF 40 YEARS, EXCEPT FOR A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN THE DRUGS OF OVERDOSE, THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PATIENTS WHO TOOK AN OVERDOSE ACCIDENTALLY AND THOSE WHO DID SO DELIBERATELY, AND THERE WERE REASONS FOR BELIEVING THAT SOME PATIENTS REPORTING AN 'ACCIDENTAL' OVERDOSE WERE DENYING THEIR SUICIDAL INTENT. FROM THESE FINDINGS IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THERE BE AVAILABLE IN CASUALTY DEPARTMENTS ACCESS TO A SKILLED PERSON OR TEAM TO WHOM ALL PATIENTS WHO HAVE TAKEN A DRUG OVERDOSE BE REFERRED FOR PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT. REFERENCES AND TABLES OF DATA FROM FINDINGS ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)