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Published on: November 11, 2013
Survival study of opioid addicts in relation to its adherence to methadone maintenance treatment
Javier Esteban1, Carmen Gimeno, José Barril
1División de Toxicología, Instituto de Bioingenieri;a, Edificio Vinalopó, Campus de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Avda. Del Ferrocarril S/N, Spain. jesteban@umh.es
Objectives:
To study the putative role of methadone maintenance treatment in the improvement of life expectancy of opioid addicts.
Design:
Retrospective longitudinal study.
Participants:
All 1487 patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment in Alicante between June 1990 and December 1997.
Statistical Analysis:
Mortality rates were studied using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Protection or risk factors were analyzed using Cox's proportional hazards model.
Results:
Mortality rates decreased from 87/1000 in 1991 to 17/1000 in 1997. The following factors influenced mortality: HIV infection [Hazard Ratio (HR)=7, 95% confidence interval (CI)=4-12]; current methadone status (HR=3.2, 95%CI=1.5-7.1) and MMT retention (retained vs. drop-out, HR=0.5, 95%CI=0.2-1.1; re-enrolled vs. drop-out, HR=0.3, 95%CI=0.2-0.5).
Conclusion:
Expediting entry and re-enrolling in methadone maintenance treatment improves survival.
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