Abstract
A 5-year follow-up of Australian methadone patients was conducted to identify factors associated with risk of premature death in a population of heroin addicts not infected with HIV. While only 93 of 227 subjects gave a history of benzodiazepine or barbiturate dependence on admission, they comprised 9 of the 11 dead (OR 7.0, 95% CI 1.6–48.7). A Cox regression of time from admission to date of death found that, while allowing for the effect of sex, age and employment status on admission, subjects giving a history of benzodiazepine or barbiturate dependence were 8 times as likely to die as other methadone maintenance patients (95% CI RR 1.6–37).

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