Opioid overdoses following use of cocaine and methamphetamine in New South Wales, and the public health responses

IF 1.7 4区医学 Q2 EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Emergency Medicine Australasia Pub Date : 2025-04-03 DOI:10.1111/1742-6723.70038

Peter Chisholm MBBS, B Med Sc, MPH, Jared Brown BPharm, MPH, Thanjira Jiranantakan MD, MPH, FAFPHM, FACOEM, Mary Ellen Harrod PhD, Catherine McDonald BSc, Una Cullinan BSc, Darren M Roberts MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FAChAM

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

Recent years have seen sporadic reports in Australia of stimulants being contaminated with opioids. Since late 2023, there has been an increase in opioid overdoses among individuals in New South Wales (NSW) using substances believed to be cocaine or methamphetamine. We analysed the frequency and characteristics of these cases and describe our public health responses.

Methods

The Prescription, Recreational & Illicit Substance Evaluation (PRISE), operated by NSW health since July 2018, is a statewide surveillance, epidemiology, and toxicity response programme. We did a retrospective analysis of each case of opioid toxicity following use of cocaine or methamphetamine submitted to the PRISE programme from January 2022 to June 2024, categorising cases into confirmed, probable, and suspected.

Results

Thirty-four cases were found, 19 involving cocaine and 15 involving methamphetamine. Twenty-two (65%) were classified as confirmed, and 12 (35%) as probable. There were two deaths (6%). Twenty-three cases (68%) were in Sydney. Multiple stakeholders reviewed trends and formulated public health responses, leading to the distribution of public drug warnings and media releases in November 2023 and February 2024 because of ongoing case detections.

Conclusions

The increase in detections, which continued in the months following the public health responses, underscores the need for comprehensive surveillance, response, monitoring, and reporting of this phenomenon in NSW. Engagement with clinicians and the community is essential for the success of this programme.

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新南威尔士州可卡因和甲基苯丙胺使用后阿片类药物过量，以及公共卫生应对措施

目的近年来，澳大利亚出现了一些兴奋剂被阿片类药物污染的零星报道。自2023年底以来，新南威尔士州（NSW）使用被认为是可卡因或甲基苯丙胺的物质过量服用阿片类药物的情况有所增加。我们分析了这些病例的频率和特征，并描述了我们的公共卫生应对措施。方法：处方、消遣性；非法物质评估（PRISE）自2018年7月起由新南威尔士州卫生部运营，是一项全州范围的监测、流行病学和毒性反应计划。我们对从2022年1月至2024年6月提交给PRISE计划的每个使用可卡因或甲基苯丙胺后的阿片类药物毒性病例进行了回顾性分析，将病例分为确诊、可能和疑似病例。结果共查出34例，可卡因19例，甲基苯丙胺15例。确诊病例22例（65%），疑似病例12例（35%）。有2例死亡（6%）。23例（68%）在悉尼。多个利益攸关方审查了趋势并制定了公共卫生应对措施，由于持续发现病例，导致在2023年11月和2024年2月发布了公共药物警告和媒体发布。在公共卫生反应之后的几个月里，发现病例持续增加，这强调了新南威尔士州对这一现象进行全面监测、应对、监测和报告的必要性。与临床医生和社区的接触对该规划的成功至关重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Emergency Medicine Australasia 医学-急救医学

CiteScore

3.70

自引率

13.00%

发文量

217

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Emergency Medicine Australasia is the official journal of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) and the Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine (ASEM), and publishes original articles dealing with all aspects of clinical practice, research, education and experiences in emergency medicine. Original articles are published under the following sections: Original Research, Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Disaster Medicine, Education and Training, Ethics, International Emergency Medicine, Management and Quality, Medicolegal Matters, Prehospital Care, Public Health, Rural and Remote Care, Technology, Toxicology and Trauma. Accepted papers become the copyright of the journal.