Opioid Poisoning Related Hospital Use in North Carolina
Nationally, the opioid epidemic is expanding at a rapid pace. Deaths from opioid overdose quadrupled from 1999 to 2016. North Carolina is experiencing a faster increase in drug overdose deaths than the nation as a whole. However, opioid use does not always manifest in death. One report estimates that there are four inpatient visits and ten emergency department visits for every death by opioid poisoning.
To better understand the opioid epidemic in North Carolina, this brief analyzes North Carolina hospital visit data and aims to provide a broader view of the state’s opioid epidemic and usage patterns than what can be seen in mortality data. Data on opioid poisoning visits are shown by type, sex, age and payer group for Fiscal Year 2015.
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Authors: Christina A. Smith and Mark Holmes
Posted: August 10, 2017
Companion brief:
Trends in North Carolina Hospital Use Related to Prescription Opioid and Heroin Poisoning, 2012-2015
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