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Prior Emergency Medical Services Utilization Among People Who Had an Accidental Opioid-Involved Fatal Drug Overdose-Rhode Island, 2018-2020.
Duan, Kailai; Chambers, Laura C; Basta, Melissa; Scagos, Rachel P; Roberts-Santana, Carolina; Hallowell, Benjamin D.
Affiliation
  • Duan K; Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, RI, USA.
  • Chambers LC; Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, RI, USA.
  • Basta M; The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
  • Scagos RP; Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, RI, USA.
  • Roberts-Santana C; Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, RI, USA.
  • Hallowell BD; Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, RI, USA.
Public Health Rep ; 139(1): 48-53, 2024.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36891978
ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE:

To help understand whether decreased emergency medical services (EMS) utilization due to the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to increased accidental fatal drug overdoses, we characterized recent EMS utilization history among people who had an accidental opioid-involved fatal drug overdose in Rhode Island.

METHODS:

We identified accidental opioid-involved fatal drug overdoses among Rhode Island residents that occurred from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020. We linked decedents by name and date of birth to the Rhode Island EMS Information System to obtain EMS utilization history.

RESULTS:

Among 763 people who had an accidental opioid-involved fatal overdose, 51% had any EMS run and 16% had any opioid overdose-related EMS run in the 2 years before death. Non-Hispanic White decedents were significantly more likely than decedents of other races and ethnicities to have any EMS run (P < .001) and any opioid overdose-related EMS run (P = .05) in the 2 years before death. Despite a 31% increase in fatal overdoses from 2019 through 2020, corresponding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, EMS utilization in the prior 2 years, prior 180 days, or prior 90 days did not vary by time frame of death.

CONCLUSION:

In Rhode Island, decreased EMS utilization because of the COVID-19 pandemic was not a driving force behind the increase in overdose fatalities observed in 2020. However, with half of people who had an accidental opioid-involved fatal drug overdose having an EMS run in the 2 years before death, emergency care is a potential opportunity to link people to health care and social services.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Substance-Related Disorders / Emergency Medical Services / Drug Overdose / Opiate Overdose / COVID-19 Type of study: Prognostic_studies Aspects: Implementation_research Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: America do norte Language: En Journal: Public Health Rep Year: 2024 Document type: Article Affiliation country: United States

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Substance-Related Disorders / Emergency Medical Services / Drug Overdose / Opiate Overdose / COVID-19 Type of study: Prognostic_studies Aspects: Implementation_research Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: America do norte Language: En Journal: Public Health Rep Year: 2024 Document type: Article Affiliation country: United States