Akhgari Maryam, Sardari-Iravani Fariba, Ghadipasha Masoud
Department of Forensic Toxicology, Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Addict Health. 2021 Jan;13(1):18-28. doi: 10.22122/ahj.v13i1.296.
Poly drug use is a public health threat causing morbidity and mortality all over the world. Combined use of licit and illicit drugs is among the possible causes of death. In this retrospective analytical study, we evaluated forensic toxicology analysis results from 2011 to 2016 in Tehran province, Iran.
All deaths related to poly drug use and referred to the Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran during the 6-year study period were evaluated. Postmortem samples were analyzed to detect alcohols, and prescription and illicit drugs using headspace gas chromatography (HSGC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in a forensic toxicology laboratory. Manner of death, demographic characteristics, and different drug categories in postmortem samples were analyzed.
A total of 1388 poly drug use-associated deaths were investigated during the 6-year study period. Overall, victims were mostly young men of 20-40 years of age (56.8%). The male to female ratio was 7:16. Methadone (n = 660; 47.6%) and amphetamine type stimulants (ATS) (n = 657; 47.3%) were in the highest category for poly drug use-associated deaths. Moreover, in some cases, opium (n = 458; 32.9%), tramadol (n = 389; 28.0%), and tricyclic antidepressants (n = 151; 10.9%) had been used with other drugs.
The present study provides information about poly drug use-associated deaths in Tehran and highlights the major role of substance abuse in death.
多种药物滥用是一种公共卫生威胁，在全球范围内导致发病和死亡。合法药物与非法药物的联合使用是可能的死亡原因之一。在这项回顾性分析研究中，我们评估了2011年至2016年伊朗德黑兰省的法医毒理学分析结果。
对6年研究期间所有与多种药物滥用相关且转诊至德黑兰法律医学组织的死亡病例进行评估。在法医毒理学实验室中，使用顶空气相色谱法（HSGC）、高效液相色谱法（HPLC）和气相色谱/质谱联用法（GC/MS）对死后样本进行分析，以检测酒精、处方药和非法药物。分析了死亡方式、人口统计学特征以及死后样本中的不同药物类别。
在6年研究期间，共调查了1388例与多种药物滥用相关的死亡病例。总体而言，受害者大多是20至40岁的年轻男性（56.8%）。男女比例为7:16。美沙酮（n = 660；47.6%）和苯丙胺类兴奋剂（ATS）（n = 657；47.3%）在与多种药物滥用相关的死亡病例中占比最高。此外，在某些情况下，鸦片（n = 458；32.9%）、曲马多（n = 389；28.0%）和三环类抗抑郁药（n = 151；10.9%）曾与其他药物一起使用。
本研究提供了有关德黑兰与多种药物滥用相关死亡的信息，并突出了药物滥用在死亡中的主要作用。
