Forensic pathological study of methadone-related deaths in the Genoa (Italy) district : A six-year study

Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved..

Methadone is a synthetic opioid, a pure agonist of the μ receptor. It is used for opioid maintenance therapy in heroin addiction. In recent years, Italian studies of incidence and prevalence have indicated an increase in the illegal sales of methadone and, consequently, an increase in deaths due to acute methadone intoxication as well. The present review is a prospective-observational study regarding epidemiological and toxicological analyses of methadone-related deaths recorded in the district of Genoa (Italy) from 2013 to 2018. The study includes a list of twenty-six people that have died from methadone toxicity: twenty-two males and four females. The concentration of methadone in the blood samples ranged from 181 to 4058.53 ng/mL, with an average of 964.29 ng/mL. Six subjects tested positive for methadone alone; twenty cases, however, presented drugs or substances in different concentrations in the blood samples. Illegal sales and consumption of methadone have a negative impact on the self-administration therapy of opioid addiction, inducing patients to increase their dosage or sell methadone in order to purchase illegal drugs. As shown in our study, this behaviour is associated with an increase in methadone-related deaths. Accordingly, careful monitoring of dosage administrated to patients is required in order to render the system safer.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:79

Enthalten in:

Journal of forensic and legal medicine - 79(2021) vom: 01. Apr., Seite 102149

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Errico, Stefano [VerfasserIn]
Bedocchi, Davide [VerfasserIn]
Drommi, Martina [VerfasserIn]
Barranco, Rosario [VerfasserIn]
Bonsignore, Alessandro [VerfasserIn]
Ventura, Francesco [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Analgesics, Opioid
Blood Alcohol Content
Drug abuse
Forensic toxicology
Heroin dependence
Journal Article
Maintenance therapy
Methadone
Observational Study
UC6VBE7V1Z

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 22.06.2021

Date Revised 22.06.2021

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.jflm.2021.102149

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM322250846