Virginia Department of Health | Enhanced Surveillance Monthly Report
Emergency Department Visits for Unintentional Drug and Heroin Overdoses among Virginia Residents, January 2015 – August 2016
Report Generated: September 9, 2016
Chief complaints and discharge diagnoses of emergency department (ED) visits are analyzed to characterize the burden of unintentional drug and heroin overdoses across Virginia. This report includes visits of Virginia residents to 81 acute care hospitals EDs and 13 free-standing EDs that occured between January 1, 2015 and August 31, 2016.
Report Highlights: In August 2016, emergency department (ED) visits for unintentional drug overdose among residents in Virginia increased 8% while visits for unintentional heroin overdose decreased by 20% compared to July 2016.
By health planning region, ED visits for unintentional heroin overdose decreased in four out of five regions. Visits in the Southwest Region increased from 4 to 8 visits but still accounted for the smallest population of visits by region (8%).
By sex, the number of ED visits for unintentional heroin overdose among 25 to 35 year olds continued to decrease for the 5th month in a row, but still accounted for the highest proportion of visits statewide (37%). ED visits for unintentional heroin overdose decreased among every age group except those 65 or older which remains the smallest proportion of visits (1%).
Download the full report: monthly-enhanced-surveillance-report_drug-and-heroin-overdose_august-2016