An Examination of Seasonal Trends in Delaware Drug Overdoses, 2016-2020

Abraham, Aswini; Gray, Andrew C.; Wagner, Jascha; Anderson, Tammy L.

doi:10.32481/djph.2021.12.014

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Our discovery of a seasonal trend in the overdose case fatality rate, where the proportion of deaths from drug overdoses is higher in the winter than in the summer, is a novel finding. Previous studies have identified seasonal trends in various drug surveillance data sources in the past decade, some with conflicting results (Abraham et al, 2021). For example, Sadler and Furr‐Holden (2019) reported the highest counts of fatal drug overdoses in spring months and lowest counts of fatal drug overdoses in summer months in Michigan from 2013 to 2015.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling overdose case fatality rates over time: The collaborative process

Slade

Mangino

Daniels

et al. 2023

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This study describes the collaborative process undertaken to study trends in the overdose case fatality rate (the proportion of drug overdoses resulting in death) in Kentucky from 2018 to 2021. Rather than separately tracking counts of fatal and non‐fatal overdoses, studying the overdose case fatality rate gives insight into issues related to the severity of drug overdoses and the efficacy of overdose response resources. We found that the overdose case fatality rate increased across the study period at a rate of approximately 1.19 percentage points per year, and in addition to this annual trend, it is expected to peak 1.26 percentage points higher in the wintertime and lower in the summertime than what would be expected from the overall annual trend. Modelling trends in the overdose case fatality rate over time in a way that is methodologically sound and easily interpretable to community stakeholders was a challenge, and the solution to utilize Bayesian beta regression was made possible by effective team science between domain experts and methodological experts. In this work, we describe our collaborative process, including the team structure and communication strategies, that ultimately led to these novel findings regarding seasonal and annual trends in the overdose case fatality rate.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling overdose case fatality rates over time: The collaborative process

Slade

Mangino

Daniels

et al. 2023

Stat

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“…The number of consumptions and visits in July of 2023 was 224 and 153 respectively and there was 241 consumptions and 201 visits in August of 2023. Research suggests that there may be seasonal impacts on substance use as drug initiation, overdose emergency room visits,police calls for overdoses, and overdoses themselves usually tend to spike in the summer months [ 16 , 17 ]. In terms of new clients, it appears that this number peaked in December 2022, and has remained relatively consistent within the last five months, with a small reduction in May 2023.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Client experiences using a new supervised consumption service in Sudbury, Ontario: A qualitative study

Ali,

Russell,

Kaura

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Overdoses are increasing in the province of Ontario, Canada, where northern communities such as Sudbury have witnessed disproportionately elevated rates, with opioid-related deaths double that of the provincial average. To address this issue, governments have implemented supervised consumption services (SCS) where people who use drugs (PWUD) can use their pre-obtained substances onsite under trained supervision. In September 2022, the city of Sudbury opened its first SCS, ‘The Spot’, but the site’s sustainability is contingent on demonstrating benefit to PWUD and the neighboring community. We undertook a qualitative study exploring experiences among clients who used the consumption service inside The Spot. In December 2022, clients of The Spot were invited to participate in a brief survey which collected socio-demographic information and substance use profiles, followed by an in-person semi-structured qualitative interview. Participant survey and interview data were combined with administrative site utilization data provided by site staff of all clients who accessed the consumption service from September 2022 to August 2023 to examine overall service utilization and uptake. Qualitative data were analyzed using iterative thematic analysis techniques, and results were informed by common responses to research questions. The responses were narratively presented. Administrative site utilization data highlighted a relatively stable increase in uptake and utilization of the site since its inception. A total of 20 clients participated in the survey and semi-structured interviews. Participants described the importance of the site in preventing and responding to overdoses, providing a safe and comfortable environment to consume their drugs, and decreasing public drug use, which they suggested may potentially reduce stigmatization in the community. However, clients also suggested challenges, including issues regarding site operational policies that hindered consumption room utilization. Service suggestions made by clients to improve site utilization include the addition of inhalation services, relocating the site to a location in downtown Sudbury where PWUD commonly congregate, and extending operational hours. Positive impacts and recommendations can be drawn on and considered by other northern or rural communities interested in implementing similar harm reduction services.

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COVID-19 public health restrictions and opioid overdoes: a summative content analysis of emergency medical services records in three Texas counties

Graham,

Sharma,

Hooker

et al. 2024

Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy

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Background With the broad recognition of increased U.S. opioid overdose (OOD) rates between 2020 and 2021, media, public health, and healthcare organizations have raised significant concerns over the emergence of a simultaneous COVID-19-opioid "twindemic. " Research in this area has explored the possible relationships between negative externalities associated with the pandemic and/or COVID-19 public health interventions and increased risks for opioid use and overdose alongside diminished outcomes following OOD events. MethodsThe study offers a summative content analysis of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responses to opioid overdose (OOD) events before and after the institution of COVID-19 restrictions. Specifically, the study investigates three Texas counties to evaluate changing OOD rates, patient demographics, and OOD event features. The analysis uses a previously validated machine learning tool to identify OOD events and conducted a summative content analysis of identified events. ResultsA total of 1170 OOD responses events were identified in the three-county dataset. This includes 874 in Travis County, 242 in El Paso County, and 54 in Williamson County. Each county experienced modest changes in EMS calls for OOD events between the pre-restriction and public health restriction time periods. Travis County's OOD event rate declined from 454 to 420. El Paso's increased from 103 to 139, and Williamson County's increased from 23 to 31. These changes were not significant as percentage of possible OOD events or based on by-month comparison. The notable differences between pre-restriction and public health restriction periods were significant decreases in documentation of patient race/ethnicity in Travis and Williamson Counties, significant decreases in housing insecurity and use alone in Travis County, and an increase in transport refusal after treatment in the field in Travis County. ConclusionsUltimately the results presented here problematize prevailing analyses about the so-called opioid-COVID-19 "twindemic. " The data further support emerging trends about substantial geographic variation and show some ways that COVID-19 mitigation measures may have improved conditions for some populations, particularly in

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An Examination of Seasonal Trends in Delaware Drug Overdoses, 2016-2020

Cited by 3 publications

References 23 publications

Modelling overdose case fatality rates over time: The collaborative process

Modelling overdose case fatality rates over time: The collaborative process

Client experiences using a new supervised consumption service in Sudbury, Ontario: A qualitative study

COVID-19 public health restrictions and opioid overdoes: a summative content analysis of emergency medical services records in three Texas counties

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