Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
Millennium Health, San Diego, California.
JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Oct 1;7(10):e2441063. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.41063.
IMPORTANCE: The US is experiencing a protracted drug overdose crisis primarily associated with exposure to illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF), methamphetamine, and cocaine. Overdose risk and treatment responses may be directly affected by absolute drug exposure concentrations and drug use prevalence. OBJECTIVE: To quantify changes in absolute drug exposure concentrations from 2013 to 2023. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study analyzed urine drug testing (UDT) results from urine specimens collected between January 1, 2013, and August 22, 2023, in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Urine specimens were obtained from patients aged 18 years or older who presented to substance use disorder treatment clinics. The UDT was ordered by clinicians based on medical necessity. EXPOSURES: Urine specimens were analyzed for the following drugs or metabolites (analytes tested in parentheses): fentanyl (fentanyl), heroin (6-monoacetylmorphine), cocaine (benzoylecgonine), and methamphetamine (methamphetamine) using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Relative concentrations of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Creatinine-normalized drug concentration values were log-transformed prior to visualization and statistical analyses. The Mann-Kendall trend test was performed to examine trends over time. To estimate the geospatial and temporal patterns of drug concentration, a second series of models (1 for each drug) with an interaction effect for clinic location and collection year were fit. RESULTS: A total of 921 931 unique UDT samples were collected from patients (549 042 males [59.6%]; median [IQR] age, 34 [27-44] years). The adjusted fentanyl concentration in urine specimens was 38.23 (95% CI, 35.93-40.67) ng/mg creatinine in 2023 and 4.61 (95% CI, 3.59-5.91) ng/mg creatinine in 2013. The adjusted methamphetamine concentration was 3461.59 (95% CI, 3271.88-3662.30) ng/mg creatinine in 2023 and 665.27 (95% CI, 608.51-727.32) ng/mg creatinine in 2013. The adjusted cocaine concentration was 1122.23 (95% CI, 1032.41-1219.87) ng/mg creatinine in 2023 and 559.71 (95% CI, 524.69-597.06) ng/mg creatinine in 2013. The adjusted heroin concentration was 58.36 (95% CI, 48.26-70.58) ng/mg creatinine in 2023 and 146.59 (95% CI, 136.06-157.92) ng/mg creatinine in 2013. Drug concentrations varied across US Census divisions. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This cross-sectional study found that absolute concentrations of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in urine specimens increased from 2013 to 2023, with a decrease in heroin concentration during that period. The findings suggest that exposure to these substances, as well as the illicit drug supply, has fundamentally changed in many parts of the US, highlighting the need to reinforce surveillance initiatives and accelerate efforts to treat individuals with IMF and/or stimulant exposure.
重要性:美国目前正经历一场旷日持久的药物过量危机,主要与接触非法制造的芬太尼(IMF)、冰毒和可卡因有关。药物过量的风险和治疗反应可能会直接受到绝对药物暴露浓度和药物使用流行率的影响。
目的:量化 2013 年至 2023 年期间绝对药物暴露浓度的变化。
设计、地点和参与者:本横断面研究分析了 2013 年 1 月 1 日至 2023 年 8 月 22 日期间在 49 个州和哥伦比亚特区采集的尿液药物检测(UDT)结果。尿液样本取自年龄在 18 岁或以上、到物质使用障碍治疗诊所就诊的患者。UDT 由临床医生根据医疗需要开具。
暴露:使用液相色谱-串联质谱法分析尿液样本中的以下药物或代谢物(括号中列出的分析物):芬太尼(芬太尼)、海洛因(6-单乙酰吗啡)、可卡因(苯甲酰可卡因)和冰毒(冰毒)。
主要结果和措施:芬太尼、海洛因、可卡因和冰毒的相对浓度。肌酐归一化药物浓度值在可视化和统计分析之前进行对数转换。采用曼肯德尔趋势检验法考察随时间的变化趋势。为了估计药物浓度的地理空间和时间模式,拟合了第二个系列的模型(每个药物一个),其中包括诊所位置和采集年份的交互效应。
结果:共收集了来自患者的 921931 个独特的 UDT 样本(549042 名男性[59.6%];中位数[IQR]年龄,34[27-44]岁)。2023 年尿液样本中调整后的芬太尼浓度为 38.23(95%CI,35.93-40.67)ng/mg 肌酐,2013 年为 4.61(95%CI,3.59-5.91)ng/mg 肌酐。调整后的冰毒浓度为 2023 年 3461.59(95%CI,3271.88-3662.30)ng/mg 肌酐,2013 年为 665.27(95%CI,608.51-727.32)ng/mg 肌酐。调整后的可卡因浓度为 2023 年 1122.23(95%CI,1032.41-1219.87)ng/mg 肌酐,2013 年为 559.71(95%CI,524.69-597.06)ng/mg 肌酐。调整后的海洛因浓度为 2023 年 58.36(95%CI,48.26-70.58)ng/mg 肌酐,2013 年为 146.59(95%CI,136.06-157.92)ng/mg 肌酐。药物浓度在不同的美国人口普查区之间存在差异。
结论和相关性:本横断面研究发现,2013 年至 2023 年期间,尿液样本中芬太尼、冰毒和可卡因的绝对浓度增加,在此期间海洛因浓度下降。研究结果表明,这些物质的暴露以及非法药物供应在美国许多地区已经发生了根本性的变化,这突显了加强监测倡议和加速治疗接触 IMF 和/或兴奋剂的个人的必要性。
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