PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 6
p h i l a m e d s o c .org
feature
PHILADELPHIA TASK FORCE REPORT
ON OPIOID EPIDEMIC
The Results of the Mayor's
Opioid Task Force
By: Michael DellaVecchia MD, PhD, FACS
The annual rate of drug overdose deaths in the USA is approaching
the total number of deaths that the country suffered in the entire
Vietnam War (58,220).1
the medical examiner of Philadelphia reported 35 deaths from
heroin overdose that was thought to be related to a lethal mixture
of heroin with illegal Fentanyl.3
Drug overdose is the leading cause of overall accidental death with
52,404 lethal drug overdoses recorded in 2015. Opioid addiction
headed the statistics, with 20,101 overdose deaths attributed to
prescription pain relievers, and 12,990 overdose deaths related to
heroin in 2015.2
There has recently been reported rare deaths from the most potent
commercially used opioid, Carfentanil, which is used as a large
animal sedative and is 10,000 times more potent than morphine.4
The City of Philadelphia also experienced a rise in the number
of overdose deaths as noted in its Public Health Bulletin which
showed a comparison with nationwide accidental deaths and types
of narcotics involved. (See excerpts.) This was despite the initiation
of naloxone (Narcan) which became available to reverse overdose.
In November 2016, there was a shocking five-day period when
Approximately 50 additional people had been revived by doctors,
EMTs and police during this November period with 4,000 administrations by EMTs and 200 administrations by police in 2016. This
was under state Act 139 which allows responders and the public to
deliver the drug and receive immunity from prosecution to those
reporting or responding to an overdose.
1. https://www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/casualty-statistics.html
2. Rudd RA, Seth P, David F, Scholl L. Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths - United States, 2010-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016; 65:1445-1452.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm655051e1
3. "Fentanyl drug profile". EMCDDA. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Heroin-Deaths-Philadelphia-405651156.html
4. https://www.dea.gov/divisions/hq/2016/hq092216.shtml
6
Philadelphia Medicine : Summer 2017
https://philamedsoc.org/
https://www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/casualty-statistics.html
http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm655051e1
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Heroin-Deaths-Philadelphia-405651156.html
https://www.dea.gov/divisions/hq/2016/hq092216.shtml
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 1
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 2
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 3
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 4
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 5
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 6
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 7
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 8
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 9
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 10
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 11
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 12
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 13
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 14
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 15
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 16
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 17
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 18
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 19
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 20
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 21
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 22
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 23
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 24
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 25
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 26
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 27
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 28
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 29
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 30
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 31
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 32
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 33
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 34
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 35
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 36
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 37
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 38
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 39
PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Summer2017 - 40
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Fall2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Summer2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicineWinterSpring2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Fallr2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Summer2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Spring2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicineFallWinter2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Summer2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Spring2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Winter2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Fall2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Summer2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Spring2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Winter2017x
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Fall2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PhiladelphiaMedicine_Summer2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine/PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Spring2017
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com