Fatal heroin ‘overdose’: a review

摘要: The current paper examines critically the literature on deaths attributed to heroin overdose, and characteristics circumstances of such deaths. In particular, dominance widely held belief that heroin-related fatalities are a consequence overdose is challenged. Deaths represented in typically older, heroin-dependent males not drug treatment at time death. Fatalities involving only appear form minority occasions, presence other drugs (primarily central nervous system depressants as alcohol benzodiazepines) being commonly detected autopsy. Furthermore, likely have morphine levels no higher than those who survive, or users die from causes. It concluded term is, many cases, misleading term, since it implies same mechanism death all an implication neither clinically useful nor consistent with published data. Implications for prevention discussed.