Demographic, clinical, and forensics findings in deceased cases of acute methadone poisoning

Abstract

Background: Methadone is a common medication used for pain relief and addiction treatment. We evaluated clinical, demographic, and forensics findings in deceased cases of acute methadone poisoning. Methods: An 11-year chart review study was done on deceased cases diagnosed with methadone poisoning admitted to a referral emergency ward affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Data were obtained through patients’ records from 2005 to 2016 and analyzed using SPSS statistical software. Findings: Of 81 deceased cases, 86.5 were men. The mean age of cases was 42.70 ± 19.22 years. The majority of men were 20-45 years old compared to less than 20 years old in women (P = 0.005). Methadone abuse (55.6) and suicide (35.8) were the main causes of methadone poisoning in the deceased cases. Eighty two percent of cases had low consciousness on admission. Causes of poisoning, history of suicide, self-mutilation, smoking, and underlying diseases were significantly different in the various age groups. Respiratory failure as a mortality cause was recorded for the majority of cases (37.0). Pathologic findings of liver and brain were recorded in 43.9 and 31.7 of cases, respectively. Multiorgan damages were noted in 42.6 of cases without any significant differences in the various age groups. Conclusion: Given the prevalence of deceased cases due to methadone abuse at a young age, it is necessary to manage administration of methadone in different age groups to reduce mortality. © 2017, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.