Citation

Poser S, Eva P, Poser W. J. Neuroeuropsychiatry (Santiago, Chile) 1997; 35(2): 259-265.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Society of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, Chile)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Abstinence rates, mortality and the causes of death from substance use disorders were assessed over 20 years in a cohort of 2631 patients. The prognosis (defined by abstinence) is best in patients on prescription drugs, worst in addicts of illegal drugs. The standardized mortality rates (SMR) are very high in patients on illegal drugs, high in alcoholism, low in patients on prescription drugs. The SMR in patients with combined abuse of alcohol and prescription drugs is intermediate, though this group has a low abstinence rate. The increased SMR seems to be constant over the years. The elevated SMR decreases with abstinence. Accidents (including intoxication) and suicides are more prevalent in the patients than in the normal population. High is the frequency of cirrhosis and malignancies in alcoholism. In patients injecting illegal drugs infections (especially AIDS) are frequent causes of death. Cardiovascular deaths are below the expectations in all subcollectives (young patients). The SMR is higher in patients with constant abuse, lower in those with intermediate consumption and long times of abstinence. Patients with substance use disorders have an increased mortality which is mainly caused by the addictive drug itself or by the circumstances of the disorder.

Language: es

Keywords

Follow-up; Mortality; Substance use disorders