Retrospective analysis shows no increased acute severity from novel benzodiazepines, suggesting polysubstance use drives harms.
Key Points
This analysis aims to evaluate whether novel benzodiazepines present greater acute clinical risks compared to pharmaceutical benzodiazepines in emergency situations.
Retrospective analysis of EDNAV clinical registry data including benzodiazepine-positive cases from September 2020 to November 2025.
Cases divided into those with novel/unregulated benzodiazepines and those with pharmaceutical ones only.
Multivariable logistic regression analyzed severe toxicity and other outcomes while adjusting for demographics and substance co-detection.
Out of 2,638 cases, 772 detected novel/unregulated benzodiazepines; unadjusted results showed lower severe outcome rates in this group.
Adjusted odds showed no significant increase in severe toxicity (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.67-1.06) or high Poisoning Severity Scores (aOR 1.00, 95% CI 0.83-1.21).
Co-detection of opioids and GHB was the strongest predictor of severe outcomes.