Open AccessDescription of Opioid-involved Hospital Deaths that Do Not Have a Subsequent Autopsy
Author(s) -
Chibuzor Abasilim,
Alfreda HollowayBeth,
Lee S. Friedman
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1531-5487
pISSN - 1044-3983
DOI - 10.1097/ede.0000000000001543
Subject(s) - medicine , autopsy , medical examiner , opioid overdose , emergency medicine , odds ratio , opioid , cause of death , medical record , drug overdose , poison control , injury prevention , national death index , disease , confidence interval , hazard ratio , (+) naloxone , receptor
Surveillance systems rely on death records to monitor the most severe outcome of the opioid epidemic. However, few studies have linked data from hospital systems with death records to determine potential undercount of opioid-involved deaths occurring in hospitals. This study describes characteristics of decedents less likely to have an autopsy following an opioid-involved death in hospitals and estimates the resulting undercount.