page_title: Opioid overdose
section_title: United States of America
hierarchical_section_title: Opioid overdose / Epidemiology / United States of America
caption_attribution_description: English: From source (emphasis and links added): "National Drug Overdose Deaths—Number Among All Ages, 1999-2017. Among the more than 70,200 drug overdose deaths estimated in 2017, the sharpest increase occurred among deaths related to fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (other synthetic narcotics) with more than 28,400 overdose deaths. Source: CDC WONDER"
context_page_description: An opioid overdose is toxicity due to excessive opioids. Examples of opioids include morphine, heroin, fentanyl, tramadol, and methadone. Symptoms include insufficient breathing, small pupils, and unconsciousness. Onset of symptoms depends in part on the route by which the opioids are taken. Among those who initially survive, complications can include rhabdomyolysis, pulmonary edema, compartment syndrome, and permanent brain damage.
  Risk factors for opioid overdose include opioid dependence, use of opioids by injection, use of high doses of opioids, mental disorders, and use of opioids together with alcohol, benzodiazepines, or cocaine. Risk of overdose is particularly high following detoxification. Dependence on prescription opioids can occur from their use to treat chronic pain. Diagnosis of an opioid overdose is based on symptoms and examination.
  Initial treatment involves supporting the person's breathing and providing oxygen. Naloxone is then recommended among those who are not breathing to reverse the opioid's effects. Giving naloxone into the nose or as an injection into a muscle appear to be equally effective.
context_section_description: Of the 70,200 overdose deaths in the US in 2017, opioids were involved in 47,600. This is an increase from 2016 where over 64,000 died from drug overdose, and opioids were involved in over 42,000. In 2017, the five states with the highest rates of death due to drug overdose were West Virginia (57.8 per 100,000), Ohio (46.3 per 100,000), Pennsylvania (44.3 per 100,000), Kentucky (37.2 per 100,000), and New Hampshire (37.0 per 100,000).
  Concerning the 2017 data in the charts below, deaths from the various drugs add up to more than 70,200 because multiple drugs are involved in many of the deaths. According to the National Safety Council, the lifetime odds of dying from an overdose in the United States is 1 in 96.
caption: US yearly overdose deaths, and the drugs involved. Among the 70,200 deaths estimated in 2017, the sharpest increase occurred among deaths related to fentanyl and synthetic opioids (28,466 deaths).[5]
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