Repeat Drug Overdoses Raise Risk for Hospitalization, Ventilator Care

" TUESDAY, March 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People treated at emergency rooms more than once a year for overdoses on narcotic drugs are more likely to be put on a ventilator and to be hospitalized, a new study finds.

Researchers also identified a number of risk factors that increase the likelihood of repeat emergency-room visits for overdoses on narcotics -- also known as opioids.

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 20,000 adults in California and Florida who received emergency-room treatment for a narcotic overdose at least once in 2010. They looked at both prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and Oxycontin and illegal drugs such as heroin."

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