Table 1 Characteristics of fatal poisonings in Oslo during one year. The place of death was at home (n = 53, 51%), other private locations (n = 15, 15%), in hospitals (n = 11, 11%), outdoors (n = 9, 9%), other institutions (n = 2, 2%), public restroom (n = 1, 1%) and unknown (n = 13, 13%). Two were psychiatric in-patients at the time of death; one of these cases was evaluated as suicide, one as accidental death. Pattern of main toxic agents Opiates or opioids were the most frequent main toxic agents, accounting for 68 (66%) deaths (Table Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical ​(Table2).2). Fifty-two (50% of total poisonings) were heroin- or morphine-related

deaths, six (6%) were related to methadone, five (5%) to codeine, and in four (4%), Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the specific compound was unknown. Ethanol was the second most common main toxic agent (n = 9, 9%). TCAs, benzodiazepines, and zopiclone accounted for four (4%) fatal poisonings each. Paracetamol was the

main toxic agent in two (2%) of the cases. In forty-five (44%) cases the drug had presumably been taken orally, 47 (46%) subjects had injected the drug, four (4%) had inhaled the drug, and in seven (7%) cases, the method of administration was unknown. Table 2 Main and additional toxic agents in fatal poisonings in Oslo during one year. Additional agents Benzodiazepines were the most common additional agents, found Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in 74 (72%) of the cases (Table ​(Table2).2). Ethanol was second most common, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical with 18 cases (17%), followed by amphetamines (16%), neuroleptics (15%), SSRIs (14%), cannabis or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (13%), paracetamol (11%), opiates or opioids (10%), other anti-depressants (8%), and TCAs (5%). Intention Thirty-two (31%)

of the deaths were suicides, and 71 (69%) were accidental deaths (Table ​(Table1).1). Among females, 17 (50%) of deaths were evaluated as suicides, compared with 15 (22%) among males (p = 0.010). Written suicide letters were found in four (4%) of the cases, all were evaluated as certain suicide. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical There was information regarding previous suicide attempts in 15 (15%) of the cases: nine (13%) among males and six (17%) among females. Substance use disorders Seventy per cent of the deceased were diagnosed post-mortem with a substance use disorder (Table ​(Table3).3). Fifty-four (52%) were evaluated as illegal drug dependent: Calpain 42 (60%) of males and 12 (35%) of females. Ethanol dependency was found among 12 (12%): nine (23%) of males and three (35%) of females. Six people (6%) were dependent on prescription drugs. Among those evaluated as suicides, three were classified as illegal drug dependent (9% of all suicides) (Table ​(Table3).3). Four were ethanol dependent (13%), and four were dependent on prescription drugs (13%). Selleckchem LY335979 One-third (34%) of those who committed suicide had substance use disorders. Table 3 Evaluated intention in fatal poisoning and history of substance use disorders prior to death.