Drug overdose survivors more likely to die of subsequent overdose: study
VANCOUVER — British Columbia researchers have determined a straightforward method for health-care professionals to effectively identify people at a heightened risk of dying from a future drug overdose.
Scientists at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV-AIDS revealed those who have recently survived a non-fatal overdose are more likely to die from a subsequent overdose.
The study’s senior author, Dr. Kanna Hayashi, described the research as the first of its kind because it found the risk of death from an overdose increases significantly with each non-fatal overdose experienced.
“(This) shows that there are some people who could be in a unique position to easily identify people who are most at risk of fatal overdose,” Hayashi said.