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Lois Fingerhut, MA, Office of Analysis and Epidemiology, NCHS, 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782, 301-458-4213, lfingerhut@cdc.gov, Clare Griffiths, Office of National Statistics, 1 Drummond Gate, London, England, and Kathryn Wilkins, Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, RH Coats Building, 18B, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6, Canada.
Background: In the US and Canada, poisoning is the 3rd leading cause of injury death; and in England and Wales it ranks 4th. From 1990 to 2001, the US poisoning death rate based on external causes of poisoning increased 57% to 8/100,000. In Canada, the rate rose 17% to 7/100,000, while in England and Wales the overall poisoning death rates decreased 25% to 7/100,000. Methods: Using ICD-9 and ICD-10 based national mortality statistics from 3 countries- US, England and Wales and Canada, trends were examined in drug-related poisoning death rate among persons 25-54 years by sex for 1990 to 2001. Drug-related poisoning deaths include both the external cause codes for drug-related poisoning and the mental disorders codes for nondependent abuse but do not include alcohol abuse/intoxication codes. Results: Between 1990 and 2001, in the US, Canada, and England and Wales, the proportions of poisoning deaths that were drug-related in the age-sex group with the highest death rates increased from66% to 88%, from 56% to 68%, and from 41% to 79%, respectively. The drug-related poisoning death rate for males 35-54 years in the US more than doubled from 1990-2001 to 21/100,000 population. In Canada, the rate increased 58% to 12/ 100,000. In England and Wales the rate for males 25-34 years more than doubled to 13/100,000; among males 35-54, the rate increased 67% to 9/100,000. Implications: Prevention efforts need to be targeted toward middle-aged males and towards the specific drugs that will be identified. Poisoning remains one of the few leading causes of injury death that have not shown improvement in this past decade.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to
Keywords: Drugs, ICD
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.