Percentage change, absolute count and co-involvement all belong in a trend explanation.
What the supplied paper reports
A multistate report examined overdose trends during 2019–2020. Illicit-benzodiazepine deaths rose sharply from a low initial count. Most benzodiazepine deaths in the reported 2020 period also involved opioids, frequently illicitly manufactured fentanyls.
Study limits
The surveillance systems, participating jurisdictions and detection practices constrain generalization. Involvement does not isolate a single cause, and a historical trend cannot be presented as a current national rate.
Forensic implications
Report the dates and starting counts alongside any percentage change. Distinguish prescription and illicit benzodiazepines and identify opioid co-exposure. These data describe a surveillance pattern, not a single-drug fatal concentration or proof of causation in an individual death.
Source and related reading
Source: PMC8389388, supplied full-text paper. Findings are paraphrased; forensic implications are an interpretation.
Related: A Small Ketamine Cohort’s Null Benzodiazepine Comparison Does Not Establish No Intubation Risk.
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