Report on the Drug Situation 2010 - Bundesministerium für ...

This applies to a total number of 9 716 people. The sum of years in which thesepeople have been registered in the observation period, results in a total of 35 497person years 31 . The average age at entering the cohort (= beginning of first treatment)was 27.3 years, and the share of women was 26%. A total of 200 people out of thegroup of 9 716 patients died of an overdose in the period between 2000 and 2008.The mortality rate was 5.6 (95% confidence interval: 4.9 to 6.5) deaths per 1 000person years (see ST 18). An interesting aspect is that the mortality rate regardingdirectly drug-related deaths is significantly lower among women than among men (seeFigure 6.3 and Chapter 5.3).One has to take into account, however, that this analysis exclusively relates tooverdoses and thus to directly drug-related deaths. It does not permit conclusions asto total mortality of people in OST (e.g., death because of diseases associated withdrug use, etc.; GÖG/ÖBIG, under preparation).31The term person year refers to the time during which a person is observed in the context of a cohort study.For instance, in the cohort in question, any person entering OST on 1 January 2000 contributes nine personyears (except people who died before 31 December 2008). Any person entering OST on 1 January 2001contributes eight person years, etc. For instance, if a person enters OST on 1 January 2002 and dies on 30 June2002, they account for half a person year. In many mortality cohort analyses, the mortality rate is expressed asdeaths per 1 000 person years.Chapter 6 / Health Correlates and Consequences 63