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Table 4 Summary statistics for patients presenting to the ED with intentional or unintentional opioid-related overdosea

From: Retrospective analysis of patterns of opioid overdose and interventions delivered at a tertiary hospital emergency department: impact of COVID-19

Variables

Intentional Overdoses

N (%) (N = 32)

Unintentional overdoses

N (%) (N = 35)

P-value

Gender

 Male

9 (28.1)

23 (65.7)

0.005

 Female

23 (71.9)

12 (34.3)

 

Age (years) (mean ± SD)

37.9 ± 15.7

42.9 ± 17.8

0.225

Mental, behavioural or neuro-developmental disorders (ICD-11 code 06)b

 Yes

24 (75.0)

18 (51.4)

0.049

 No

8 (25.0)

17 (48.6)

 

Substance use disorders

 Yes

11 (34.4)

26 (74.3)

0.002

 No

21 (65.6)

9 (25.7)

 

Length of stay (mean ± SD)

15.2 ± 17.8

8.3 ± 5.2

0.042

Arrival mode

 Ambulance

24 (75.0)

30 (85.7)

0.425

 Other

8 (25.0)

5 (14.3)

 

Opioids used in overdosec

 Pharmaceutical

30 (93.8)

19 (54.3)

 < 0.001

 Non-pharmaceutical

2 (6.3)

16 (45.7)

 

Drugs used in overdose

 Opioids only

5 (15.6)

17 (48.6)

0.009

 Opioids and non-opioids

27 (84.4)

18 (51.4)

 

If pharmaceutical opioids consumed, prescribed for

 Self

15 (50)

9 (47.4)

1.000

 Other/Illicit source/Unknown

15 (50)

10 (52.6)

 

Number of drugs consumed in overdose

 1–3

21 (65.6)

27 (77.1)

0.439

 4–7

11 (34.4)

8 (22.9)

 

Inpatient admission

 Yes

8 (25.0)

9 (25.7)

1.000

 No

24 (75.0)

26 (74.3)

 

ED and/or ambulance naloxone provided

 Yes

4 (12.5)

24 (68.6)

 < 0.001

 No

28 (87.5)

11 (31.4)

 

Drug and alcohol assessment provided or offered but declined by patient

 Yes

5 (15.6)

13 (37.1)

0.087

 No

27 (84.4)

22 (62.9)

 

Engagement with drug and alcohol services documented in post-discharge management plan or suggested but declined by patient

   

 Yes

4 (14.3)

12 (38.7)

0.070

 No

24 (85.7)

19 (61.3)

 

Follow-up psychology (including MHCP), counselling or psychiatry (including transfer to psychiatric hospital) documented in post-discharge management plan

 Yes

17 (60.7)

6 (19.4)

0.003

 No

11 (39.3)

25 (80.6)

 
  1. ED emergency department, SD standard deviation, MHCP mental health care plan
  2. aExcluding 1 deceased patient for whom the nature of overdose was not determined
  3. bExcluding substance use disorders
  4. cPharmaceutical opioids and opioid derivatives are classified under the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP) as Schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8, while non-pharmaceutical opioids are classified as Schedule 9