Table 1.
Characteristics of adult exposures involving methadone reported to the National Poison Data System Pre- vs Post-intervention (March 16, 2020).
| Nonmedical useN = 1123 (%) |
P value | Suspected attempted suicideN = 1067 (%) |
P value | Unknown reason N = 271 (%) |
P value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre- | Post- | Pre- | Post- | Pre- | Post- | ||||
| N | 539 | 584 | 0.14 | 532 | 535 | 0.02 | 128 | 143 | 0.45 |
| Median age (years) | 39 | 39 | 0.80 | 42 | 41 | 0.65 | 45 | 41 | 0.26 |
| Male | 321(59.6) | 365 (62.5) | 0.31 | 254 (47.7) | 242 (45.2) | 0.41 | 60 (46.9) | 75 (52.4) | 0.36 |
| Methadone-only | 216(40.1) | 237 (40.6) | 0.86 | 121 (22.7) | 139 (26.0) | 0.22 | 54 (42.2) | 61 (42.7) | 0.94 |
| THERAPIES | |||||||||
| Naloxone administered | 295(54.7) | 301 (51.5) | 0.29 | 250 (47.0) | 252 (47.1) | 0.97 | 80 (62.5) | 73 (51) | 0.06 |
| Intubation/ventilator | 36 (6.7) | 34 (5.8) | 0.55 | 82 (15.4) | 69 (12.9) | 0.24 | 28 (21.9) | 24 (16.8) | 0.29 |
| Vasopressors administered | 10 (1.9) | 15 (2.6) | 0.42 | 22 (4.1) | 20 (3.7) | 0.74 | 5 (3.9) | 4 (2.8) | 0.61 |
| DISPOSITIONS | |||||||||
| Treated & released from ED | 154 (28.6) | 165 (28.3) | 102 (19.2) | 88 (16.4) | 15 (11.7) | 24 (16.8) | |||
| Admitted non-critical care | 107 (19.9) | 142 (24.3) | 104 (19.5) | 135 (25.2) | 21 (16.4) | 34 (23.8) | |||
| Admitted critical care | 158 (29.3) | 148 (25.3) | 235 (44.2) | 210 (39.3) | 67 (52.3) | 53 (37.1) | |||
| Admitted psychiatry | 16 (3.0) | 8 (1.4) | 57 (10.7) | 69 (12.9) | 9 (7) | 2 (1.4) | |||
| Lost to follow up | 104 (19.3) | 121 (20.7) | 0.10 | 34 (6.4%) | 33 (6.2%) | 0.10 | 16 (12.5) | 30 (20.1) | <0.05 |
| MEDICAL OUTCOMES | |||||||||
| Not followed/no effect | 48 (8.9) | 55 (9.4) | 45 (8.5) | 52 (9.7) | 10 (7.8) | 10 (7.0) | |||
| Minor effect | 60 (11.1) | 72 (12.3) | 65 (12.2) | 66 (12.3) | 9 (7) | 7 (4.9) | |||
| Moderate effect | 201(37.3) | 218 (37.3) | 238 (44.7) | 228 (42.6) | 58 (45.3) | 58 (40.6) | |||
| Major effect | 162(30.1) | 177 (30.3) | 151 (28.4) | 163 (30.5) | 43 (33.6) | 45 (31.5) | |||
| Death | 9 (1.7) | 7 (1.2) | 11 (2.1) | 3 (0.6) | 0 (0) | 3 (2.1) | |||
| Unknown outcome | 59 (10.9) | 55 (9.4) | 0.92 | 22 (4.1) | 23 (4.3) | 0.22 | 8 (6.3) | 20 (14) | 0.44 |
Nonmedical use: exposure resulting from the intentional improper or incorrect use of a substance where the patient was likely attempting to gain a high, euphoric effect or some other psychotropic effect, including recreational use of a substance for any effect (e.g. using recreational drugs) OR exposure resulting from intentional improper or incorrect use of a substance for reasons other than the pursuit of psychotropic effect (e.g. person deliberately increases the dosage of a medication to enhance therapeutic effect, overuse of a substance to perform better).