Methadone-related death in detention

Abstract

Oral methadone may be prescribed to detainees with the aim of minimising the risk of fatal opioid poisoning on release. To study the circumstances under which methadone-related deaths can occur in detention, we audited reports of 17 [14 male, 3 female; median (range) age 34 (22–52) years] such deaths, July 2010–December 2011. The median (range) methadone dose was 40 (10–110) mg/d (N = 16). The median (range) post-mortem blood methadone concentration was 0.42 (0.16–1.40) mg/L. Those who died within 7 days of the commencement of methadone treatment were significantly younger (Mann-Whitney U 102.5, p < 0.05), were prescribed a significantly lower dose (U = 80.0, p < 0.05) and had significantly lower blood methadone concentrations at death (U = 106.5, p < 0.02) than in those given methadone long-term. In 8 reports the prisoner had been recorded as either ‘sleepy’ (N = 7), or ‘unwell’ in the hours before death. In 13 deaths, the prisoner was either found dead first thing in the morning, or in one instance could not be roused (‘snoring heavily’). Pneumonia, tracheobronchitis, end-stage cirrhosis, and ischaemic heart disease/coronary artery atherosclerosis were cited as associated factors in four patients, all of whom were on long term stable methadone treatment. Attention to warning signs of likely methadone toxicity (daytime or excessive drowsiness, snoring, nausea/vomiting) and associated risk factors (use of drugs such as benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids, the presence of respiratory infection, liver or renal disease) could help minimise the risk of unexpected death in patients given methadone.