The Opioid Epidemic

AbstractThe opioid epidemic is the most devastating drug crisis in American history. More than 28,000 deaths each year are attributed to opioid use (Rudd et al., MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.2016;65:1445 –1452). Death rates now approach those of AIDS during the 1990s, double that from cocaine overdoses and exceed those from car accidents. The epidemic has hit nearly every demographic, regardless of race, economic status, or age. While heroin deaths occur in younger patients, fatal opioid overdoses are more likely to happen in middle age, and the rate of hospitalizations for the geriatric patient with opioid-related issues has quadrupled in the past 20 years (Rudd et al., MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.2016;65:1445 –1452).
Source: Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports - Category: Emergency Medicine Source Type: research