Serfaty, MA;
(1992)
Benzodiazepine attributed deaths in Great Britain during the decade 1980-1989.
Masters thesis , University of Edinburgh.
Abstract
Mortality statistics for England and Wales and Scotland have enabled benzosdiazepine attributed deaths for the decade 1980-89 to be studied. This study confirms the "Availability of method" hypothesis which suggests that the availablity of a particular method is is correlated with the likelihood of death from that method. There has, however, been some debate as to whether people "Displace" to other methods is the "Availability of method" is altered. This study has discovered that significant differences in fatal toxicity indices among the benzodiazepines, those for flurazepam and temazepam being significantly greater and those for nirtazepam and triazolam being significantly less than the mean. Similarly the fatal toxicity indices for diazepam and chlordiazepoxide are greater and less than the mean respectively in combination with alcohol. When considering deaths in which alcohol has been implicated, there is no significant difference in fatal toxicity indices for benzodiazepines compared with deaths from chlormethiazole. This is despite reports of a fatal interaction between chlormetiazole and alcohol. Correlation between prescription numbers and parasuicide are inconclusive. The pattern of death from "other" drugs is too complex to draw any firm conclusions. Findings from this thesis show there has been a disproportionate increase deaths despite falling prescriptions for benzodiazepines. This thesis reveals substitution of temazepam for other hypnotics. Temazepam has a significantly greater fatal toxicity index and consequentl there has been a disproportionate rise in benzodiazepine deaths. This effect has been named the "Temazepam effect". A significantly greater number of temazepam attributed deaths are occuring in the over 45 age group and deaths increase in numbers with increasing age. This suggests that the deaths from temazepam are not accounted for by deaths in drug abusers.
| Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Benzodiazepine attributed deaths in Great Britain during the decade 1980-1989 |
| Event: | University of Edinburgh |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Division of Psychiatry |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1368084 |
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