Abstract
BackgroundIran is a country with the highest rate of opioid addiction in the world. The most commonly used opioid in Iran is opium, and methadone is in second place. The trend of drug use has changed from opium to methadone from 2006 to 2011. Presence of a large number of addicted people and methadone maintenance therapy clinics make methadone readily available in Iran. Therefore, evaluation of the epidemiological characteristic of methadone toxicity and its effects on the heart is essential.MethodsIn This cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive, analytical study all patients with methadone or opium toxicity who had been admitted to Vasei hospital, Sabzevar, Iran, during the years 2015 and 2016 were included, and their records were evaluated. Demographic data, addiction history, underlying diseases, and the outcome of admission were recorded. Then, corrected QT interval (QTc) of the first ECG of the patients after admission was evaluated.ResultsThe Majority of toxicities occurred in those above 30 years of age (71.4%), who lived in cities (62.8%), and were married (69.2%). A positive history of addiction was considerably higher in the opium group (72.3% versus 43.3%). There was no significant difference regarding QTc prolongation between patients with methadone and opium toxicity (p = 0.3).ConclusionQTc prolongation is one of the adverse effects of methadone or opium overdose. It seems that significant QTc prolongation is not uncommon among patients with opium overdose.
Highlights
IntroductionEastern Iran shares a border with Afghanistan where the majority of opium in the world is produced
Iran is a country with the highest rate of opioid addiction in the world [1, 2]
Majority of toxicities occurred in patients above 30 years old (n = 167; 71.4%) married (69.2%) and who are living in cities (62.8%), Tables 1 and 2 show comparisons of some demographic and clinical variables and the most common underlying diseases in the methadone and opium groups, respectively
Summary
Eastern Iran shares a border with Afghanistan where the majority of opium in the world is produced. Iran is the major route for drug transport to Europe [3]. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Iran has opium consumption three times greater than the mean of the world. The most commonly used opioid in Iran is opium (82%). Iran is a country with the highest rate of opioid addiction in the world. The most commonly used opioid in Iran is opium, and methadone is in second place. The trend of drug use has changed from opium to methadone from 2006 to 2011. Presence of a large number of addicted people and methadone maintenance therapy clinics make methadone readily available in Iran. Evaluation of the epidemiological characteristic of methadone toxicity and its effects on the heart is essential
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
