TABLE. Demographic characteristics and overdose precipitating circumstances of fentanyl overdose decedents (N = 125) — Barnstable, Bristol, and Plymouth counties, Massachusetts, October 1, 2014–March 31, 2015.

Characteristic	No. (%)
Sex
Male	100 (80)
Female	25 (20)
Age group (yrs)
15–24	15 (12)
25–34	52 (42)
35–44	24 (19)
≥45	34 (27)
Race/Ethnicity
White, non-Hispanic	111 (89)
Other	14 (11)
Location of overdose
Decedent's home	85 (68)
Other private residence	22 (18)
Hotel or motel	7 (6)
Other	11 (9)
Overdose onset, pulselessness, and bystander naloxone administration
Evidence of rapid onset of overdose symptoms	45 (36)
Pulseless upon emergency medical services arrival	112 (90)
Evidence of bystander naloxone administration	7 (6)
Barriers to bystander response
No bystander present	23 (18)
Decedent spatially separated from any bystander*	73 (58)
Bystander unaware of decedent’s drug use	30 (24)
Bystander also using drugs or alcohol	15 (12)
Bystander reported symptoms of intoxication or overdose (snoring, falling asleep, or nodding), but did not realize decedent was overdosing	14 (11)
Decedent was thought to have gone to sleep	19 (15)
Route of drug administration†
Evidence of injection	83 (66)
Evidence of insufflation (snorting)	11 (9)
No evidence of route of administration	26 (21)

* Spatial separation defined as having a bystander nearby, either during or shortly preceding the overdose, who potentially had an opportunity to intervene and respond to the overdose, but who was not in the same room or physical space as the decedent.

^† Categories were not defined as mutually exclusive, but all records with evidence of injection had no evidence of insufflation, and all records with evidence of insufflation had no evidence of injection. Any evidence of route of administration was coded but not linked to specific drugs.