[hermantheshocker]

Opioid use is a leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in more than 50,000 deaths per year (CDC/2019), ~350,000 worldwide (WHO/2020). For medical examiners, investigation of deaths possibly related to opioids and the determination of whether opioid(s) contributed to a death require careful consideration of many factors. The investigation of a possible death related to opioids or other drugs requires a scene investigation, full medical history, complete autopsy, comprehensive toxicology testing, and interpretation of all information gathered by a board‐certified forensic pathologist. The three cases are from Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine.


Fig.1 A 28‐year‐old woman was found seated on her bed in a frog‐leg position and slumped forward with her face directly on the mattress and bedding. Her oral and nasal airways were obstructed, and the forensic pathologist reviewing this case believed the position would have contributed to her death. Her accidental death was due to the toxic effects of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl.


Fig.2 A 29‐year‐old woman was found seated in a stairwell, slumped forward with her neck hyperflexed. Her oral and nasal airways were not directly obstructed, and the forensic pathologist reviewing this case believed the position may have contributed to her death. Her accidental death was due to the toxic effects of fentanyl, morphine, and acetyl fentanyl.


Fig.3 A 54‐year‐old man was found seated on his couch and slumped over to his left with his face directly on the seat cushion and blanket. His oral and nasal airways were obstructed and the forensic pathologist reviewing this case believed the position would have contributed to his death. His accidental death was due to the toxic effects of fentanyl and morphine.

The potential that positional asphyxia is a significant contributing factor to many opioid‐related deaths may have public health implications. Various harm reduction strategies for people who use drugs have been proposed, and there is evidence to support the implementation of harm reduction behaviors.

Examples of harm reduction behaviors include instructions to use test doses of opioids to evaluate the strength of the drug and not to use alone so that another person is available to administer naloxone or provide other lifesaving interventions if needed. People still do use alone, and similar to the recognition of sleep position being a significant contributing factor for infant deaths, a change in the position during opioid use as a harm reduction behavior for people who use drugs may result in a decrease in mortality.

Help a Person Who May be Struggling with Addiction

• If you or someone close to you needs help for a substance use disorder, talk to your doctor or call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP or go to SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator.
• Learn about naloxone, a life-saving drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose when administered in time.
• Good Samaritan Laws in your state protect overdose victims and people seeking medical help for an overdose victim from drug possession charges.

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This post is for educational purposes only and is nonprofit. Under Section 107 of the US Copyright Act of 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. No copyright infringement intended. This post does not encourage or glorify violence or harassment. All/some of the images have been upscaled and sharpened/enhanced. The text might have been shortened and simplified, and/or reorganized for online view. Original case report by DeJong J.L., Lee J., Grande A., Huffman C., Bielby C., Brown T. - J For Sci 2020 / CDC / WHO

[Sa Bal]

drugs are bad m'kay

[K53]

So sad, these individuals needed a friend to assist with their addiction.

[WonderMomma]

Love that you added the info to get help. I recommend KRATOM. It works.

[mmm2840]

Am I the only one who have zero sympathy for drug users ?

[AMightyWind]

This is so sad. If you or a loved one use opiates, keep Narcan around and know how to use it, and don't use behind closed or locked doors. Harm reduction saves lives!

[fuzzz]

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

Love that you added the info to get help. I recommend KRATOM. It works.

I say this with respect, I would caution anyone contemplating the use of Kratom. It may possibly "work" to get you off of other opiates.. but its just trading one evil for another imo. Not illegal (yet). But it's addictive, and has caused plenty of deaths *(Post et al, 2019. Clinical Toxicology).

[Razorhead]

Interesting cases, thanks.

[WonderMomma]

Originally Posted by fuzzz ↗

I say this with respect, I would caution anyone contemplating the use of Kratom. It may possibly "work" to get you off of other opiates.. but its just trading one evil for another imo. Not illegal (yet). But it's addictive, and has caused plenty of deaths *(Post et al, 2019. Clinical Toxicology).

No worries. Kratom saved my life. And it’s not anywhere near addictive as the opiates it’s used to get off of. I would liken the addictive traits to be similar to coffee. It’s not even as bad as cigarettes. Comparatively speaking it’s a cakewalk. Lol

I had no side effects. It takes away withdrawal symptoms and curbs cravings without any kind of high. I first found it in 2007 to get off opiates from back problems. In 2015 I had spinal fusion surgery but was on painkillers for 6 months prior and a month after. I relied on kratom then too to come off the pain killers. It was pretty easy to stop over a period of time. Imo the alternatives are not an option. Suboxone and methadone are far worse option for opiate addiction treatment.

Also, I haven’t researched it very much lately but many of reported deaths where kratom is mentioned could not be specifically tied to kratom. There were other, much more deadly substances or situations that caused the death. Some just tied kratom to those deaths because they found it in their system. The powers that be just want to control it like they control everything else. It's scare tactics.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5...b07af4e81eda8b

It’s a natural dried leaf that has been proven to help with opiate withdrawals... it should REPLACE methadone and suboxone, but the pharmaceutical industry and the government do not want that. And if it ever does become widely used option, we won't be able to have open legal access to it on the internet or local shops. You'll have to have a prescription for it which would be detrimental for the person that needs it. The government will want to regulate that shit too. lol When I discovered it in 2007, the only two places in the WORLD it was illegal was Malaysia (where most of it originates) and Australia. Now it's many more places where it's completely illegal or heavily regulated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitrag...osa#Regulation

For me it’s a miracle herb. For myself, a few friends and one sibling. I do respect your opinion, but I’ve had NOTHING but positive results with kratom. It was a lifesaver for me.

[rambbb]

i wish they could’ve gotten the help they needed. tragic for everyone involved