Drug death autopsies at the Munich Institute of Forensic Medicine (1981-1992)

A total of 638 drug death autopsy cases in southern Bavaria from 1981 to 1992 were analysed, including epidemiological and toxicological investigations. The rate of HIV infections decreased during the last few years. Cocaine does not (yet) play a major role. Suicide rates are high. Heroin intoxications are the most frequent cause of death, mostly in combination with other drugs and alcohol. In 1992 we observed a sharp increase of the number of deaths associated with dihydrocodeine abuse. This seems to be a local phenomenon and has to be explained by uncritical and uncontrolled prescription of large amounts of this opiate by individual physicians.