Opioid Exposures Reported to U.S. Poison Centers

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Toxicology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Opioid-related deaths are a significant public health concern in the U.S.
• Poison centers (PCs) play a crucial role in monitoring public health emergencies.
• Understanding national trends in opioid exposures is vital for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine national trends in opioid exposures reported to U.S. poison centers (PCs) between 2011 and 2018.
• To analyze demographic and clinical characteristics of opioid exposures.
• To identify predictors of serious adverse events (SAEs) in opioid exposures.

Main Methods:

• Data from the National Poison Data System (NPDS) were queried for opioid exposures from 2011–2018.
• Descriptive statistics were used to assess demographic and clinical characteristics.
• Poisson regression analyzed trends in opioid frequencies and rates; predictors of SAEs were identified.

Main Results:

• A total of 604,183 opioid exposure calls were recorded.
• Opioid exposure frequency and rates decreased by 28.9% and 21.2%, respectively.
• Serious adverse events increased, with intentional exposures and multi-substance exposures being significant predictors.

Conclusions:

• Despite a decrease in overall opioid exposures, the proportion of serious adverse events rose.
• Intentional exposures were common, particularly in older age groups.
• Poison centers are essential for real-time surveillance of opioid overdoses.