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Table 3 Psychoactive substances in deaths by poisoning and all other causes, according to manner of death, n (%)

From: Psychoactive substances in natural and unnatural deaths in Norway and Sweden – a study on victims of suicide and accidents compared with natural deaths in psychiatric patients

 

Norway

Sweden

Suicides

Accidents

Suicides

Accidents

Undetermined deaths

Poisoning n = 37

Other n = 99

Poisoning n = 112

Other n = 45

Poisoning n = 56

Other n = 136

Poisoning n = 62

Other n = 62

Poisoning n = 33

Other n = 26

Ethanol

14 (38)

22 (22)

32 (29)o

15 (33)

22 (39)

51 (38)

27 (44)o

17 (27)

11 (33)o

9 (35)

Opioids

12 (32)

4 (4)

82 (73)***

5 (11)

19 (34)

8 (6)

35 (57)*

3 (5)

19 (58)*

1 (4)

 Heroin/morphine

4 (11)

3 (3)

63 (56)

2 (4)

3 (5)

1 (1)

13 (21)

0

6 (18)

0

 Other opioidsa

9 (24)

2 (2)

26 (23)

4 (9)

18 (32)

7 (5)

26 (42)

3 (5)

17 (52)

1 (4)

Psychostimulantsb

5 (14)

5 (5)

23 (21)o

1 (2)

1 (2)

5 (4)

14 (23)**

1 (2)

3 (9)o

1 (4)

Cannabinoids

0

6 (6)

16 (14)*

4 (9)

2 (4)

1 (1)

10 (16)*

0

3 (9)o

0

Benzodiazepines and z-drugsc

23 (62)

23 (23)

57 (51)o

7 (16)

26 (46)

23 (17)

27 (44)o

3 (5)

19 (58)o

3 (12)

Sedative antihistaminesd

4 (11)

5 (5)

8 (7)o

0

23 (41)

10 (7)

12 (19)*

2 (3)

13 (39)o

1 (4)

Antidepressants

13 (35)

17 (17)

20 (18)*

3 (7)

23 (41)

33 (24)

17 (27)o

4 (7)

18 (55)o

4 (15)

 SSRI/SNRI

8 (22)

13 (13)

13 (12)

2 (4

18 (32)

32 (24)

14 (23)

3 (5)

15 (46)

4 (15)

 Other antidepressants

7 (19)

5 (5)

10 (9)

2 (4)

12 (21)

4 (3)

6 (10)

2 (3)

5 (15)

0

Antipsychotics

9 (24)

7 (7)

11 (10)*

1 (2)

4 (7)

2 (2)

5 (8)o

0

2 (6)o

0

Antiepilepticse

6 (16)

1 (1)

9 (8) o

1 (2)

7 (13)

4 (3)

3 (5)o

1 (2)

2 (6)o

0

Other/unspecified psychoactive agentf

4 (11)

8 (8)

18 (16)o

1 (2)

3 (5)

2 (2)

1 (2)o

0

3 (9)o

0

Any psychoactive agent

32 (87)

58 (59)

108 (96)*

26 (58)

55 (98)

87 (64)

59 (95)o

23 (37)

33 (100)o

14 (54)

  1. aMethadone, buphrenorphine, oxycodone, ketobimedone, tramadol, fentanyl, dextropropoxyphene. Includes combination drugs containing codeine, but not codeine assumed to be derived from heroin/morphine
  2. bAmphetamine/methamphetamine, cocaine/benzoylecgonine, MMA, ecstasy and related substances
  3. cZolpidem and zopiclone
  4. dAlimemazine, promethazine, dexchlorfeniramine, hydroxyzine and related substances
  5. eKarbamazepin, lamotrigin, fenobarbital, gabapentin, pregabalin, fenytoin, topiramat (not benzodiazepinesf GHB, nimbex, tiopental, baclofen, propofol, ketamin, butan, orfenadrin, somadril/karsiprodol, biperiden, kloroxazon
  6. fGHB, nimbex, tiopental, baclofen, propofol, ketamin, butan, orfenadrin, somadril/karsiprodol, biperiden, kloroxazon
  7. oAccidents/undetermined deaths by poisoning not significantly different from suicides by poisoning (p-value > 0.05)
  8. *Accidents/undetermined deaths by poisoning not significantly different from suicides by poisoning (p-value < 0.05)
  9. **Accidents/undetermined deaths by poisoning not significantly different from suicides by poisoning (p-value < 0.01)
  10. ***Accidents/undetermined deaths by poisoning not significantly different from suicides by poisoning (p-value < 0.001)