typical features of opioid-intoxicated corpses in isfahan, iran

Background: opioid use makes the largest contribution to drug abuse mortality, while it is increasing in the world, especially in iran. objectives: the current study aimed at obtain the typical features of corpses under methadone maintenance treatment (mmt) and opium intoxication in isfahan, iran. patients and methods: the current cross sectional study was conducted on 742 opioid overdose deaths from march 2008 to march 2014; data on drug overdose death in forensic center affiliated to iranian ministry of health and medical education were recorded by checklist. results: most of the opioid corpses were young (32.18 ± 10 years), male (76.4%), and single (58.2%). they had low income, low education and were found at home; injection was the most common way of drug abuse (47.2%). in toxicological findings, morphine was the most common drug and more than 40.7% of the corpses had the symptoms of chronic hepatitis. pulmonary edema was the most common pathological finding. conclusions: according to the current study findings, the low-educated and low-income young males were the most high-risk population for drug overdose death in iran. the essential role of education and job-creation policies to prevent addiction and opium-related death was clarified.