Mortality associated with New South Wales methadone programs in 1994: Lives lost and saved

Medical Journal of Australia

Volumn 170, Issue 3, 1999, Pages 104-109

  Caplehorn, John R M ^b   Drummer, Olaf H ^a  

^a VICTORIAN INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC MEDICINE   (Australia)

^b UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

DIAMORPHINE; METHADONE;

ACCIDENTAL DEATH; ADULT; ARTICLE; AUSTRALIA; AUTOPSY; CAUSE OF DEATH; COMPARATIVE STUDY; HEROIN DEPENDENCE; HOSPITAL ADMISSION; HUMAN; HUMAN CELL; HUMAN TISSUE; IATROGENIC DISEASE; MAINTENANCE THERAPY; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; METHADONE TREATMENT; MORTALITY; RETROSPECTIVE STUDY; SYRUP;

EID: 0033082921     PISSN: 0025729X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1999.tb127675.x     Document Type: Article

References (31)

1. Caplehorn JRM, Dalton MSYN, Haldar F, et al. Methadone maintenance and addicts' risk of fatal heroin overdose. Substance Use Misuse 1996; 31: 177-196.
2. Drummer OH, Opeskin K, Syrjanen SM, Cordner M. Methadone toxicity causing death in ten subjects starting on a methadone maintenance program. Am J Forensic Med Pathology 1992; 13: 346-350.
3. McPherson CJ. Coronial inquiry into methadone related deaths. Melbourne: State Coroner Victoria, 1996.
4. Clark JC, Milroy CM, Forrest ARW. Deaths from methadone use. J Clin Forensic Med 1995; 2: 143-144.
5. Cairns A, Roberts ISD, Benbow EW. Characteristics of fatal methadone overdose in Manchester, 1985-94. BMJ 1996; 313: 264-265
6. Sunjic S, Zador D. Methadone-related deaths in New South Wales, Australia, 1990-1995. Euro-Methwork Newsletter 1998; issue 13: 11.
7. Caplehorn JRM. Deaths in the first two weeks of maintenance treatment in NSW in 1994: identifying cases of iatrogenic methadone toxicity. Drug Alcohol Rev 1998; 17: 9-17.
8. Darke S, Ross J, Hall W. The injection of methadone syrup in Sydney, Australia. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, 1995. (Technical Report No. 23).
9. Helpern M, Rho Y-M. Deaths from narcotism in New York City: incidence, circumstances and postmortem findings. NY State J Med 1966; 66: 2391-2408.
10. Siegel H, Helpern M, Ehrenreich T. The diagnosis of death from intravenous narcotism. J Forensic Sci 1966; 11: 1-16.
11. Segal RJ, Catherman RL. Methadone - a cause of death. J Forensic Sci 1974; 19: 64-74.
12. Worm K, Steentoft A, Kringsholm B. Methadone and drug addicts. Int J Leg Med 1993; 106: 119-123.
13. Transcript of Proceedings, Case 011 0487/95. New South Wales Coroner's Court Westmead.
14. Ruigrok M, Caplehorn J. A case of near-fatal methadone toxicity following repeated injections of methadone [letter]. Drug Alcohol Rev 1997; 16: 433.
15. Pounder DJ, Jones GR. Post-mortem drug redistribution - a toxicological nightmare. Forensic Sci Int 1990; 45: 253-263.
16. Levine B, Wu SC, Dixon A, Smialek JE. Site dependence of postmortem blood methadone concentrations. Am J Forensic Med Path 1995; 16: 97-100
17. Drug and Alcohol Directorate. NSW methadone program 1993/94: annual statistical report. Sydney: NSW Health Department, 1995.
18. Bailar JC, Ederer F. Significance factors for the ratio of a Poisson variable to its expectation. Biometrics 1964; 20: 639-643.
19. Armitage P, Berry G. Statistical methods in medical research. 3rd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific, 1994: 131.
20. Caplehorn JRM, McNeil DR, Kleinbaum DG. Clinic policy and retention in methadone maintenance. Int J Addict 1993; 28: 73-89.
21. Caplehorn JRM, Irwig L, Saunders JB. Physicians' attitudes and retention of patients in their methadone maintenance programs. Substance Use Misuse 1996; 31: 663-677.
22. Williamson PA, Foreman KJ, White JM, Anderson G. Methadone-related overdose deaths in South Australia, 1984-1994. Med J Aust 1997; 166: 302-305.
23. Swensen G. Opioid drug deaths in Western Australia: 1974-1984. Aust Drug Alcohol Rev 1988; 7: 181-185.
24. Transcript of Proceedings, Case 010 1924/94. New South Wales Coroner's Court Glebe, Thursday 15th June 1995: 31-37.
25. Directorate of the Drug Offensive. Policies and Procedures for the Methadone Treatment of Opioid Dependence in NSW. Sydney: New South Wales Department of Health, undated: 15, pars 4.3.1 and 4.3.2.
26. Caplehorn JRM. Official and de facto admission criteria for methadone maintenance in New South Wales, Australia [letter]. Drug Alcohol Rev 1998; 17: 121-122.
27. Bell J, O'Connor D. Methadone prescribers' manual. Sydney: NSW Health Department, 1993: 11, 23.
28. Public Health Branch. Victorian methadone program guidelines for providers. Melbourne: Department of Health and Community Services, 1995: 7, par 3.5.2. (No. 93/0388).
29. Bolton M, Reynolds A, Biggs L. Queensland methadone program: policy and procedures and treatment manual. Brisbane: Queensland Health, 1995: 35, par 4.14.
30. Wolff K, Sanderson M, Hay AWM, Ralstrick D. Methadone concentrations in plasma and their relationship to drug dosage. Clin Chem 1991, 37: 205-209.
31. Caplehorn JRM. More on iatrogenic methadone toxicity [letter]. Drug Alcohol Rev 1998; 17: 467-468.