Risk of chronic opioid use in older persons with pre-existing anxiety

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-66
Author(s):  
Anna K. Moffat, PhD ◽  
Nicole L. Pratt, PhD ◽  
Mhairi Kerr, MSc ◽  
Lisa M. Kalisch Ellett, PhD ◽  
Elizabeth E. Roughead, PhD

Objective: Work that has shown a relationship between anxiety and chronic opioid use has not focused on older people specifically, despite the additional risks in older populations. This study aimed to understand whether anxiety prior to opioid initiation increased the likelihood of chronic opioid use over time in persons aged 60 years or older.Design: Administrative claims data were used to calculate time between initiation of opioids and a first chronic episode of opioid use. Patients were classified as having a history of anxiety if they were dispensed medicines in the anxiolytics class or had a hospitalization event for anxiety prior to treatment with an opioid. Proportional hazards models were used to compare the likelihood of experiencing a chronic episode of opioid use between those with and without a history of anxiety.Results: The cohort was 15,000 persons, of which, 5,076 (34 percent) had history of anxiety. Those with anxiety prior to their first opioid dispensing were 30 percent more likely to have an episode of chronic use after adjustment for age, gender, number of comorbidities, and prior surgery (HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.16-1.47). The risk of a chronic episode in patients who had surgery prior to initiation of an opioid was 60 percent greater in those with anxiety compared to no anxiety (HR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.21-2.11) and 24 percent greater in those with anxiety but no prior surgery (HR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.08-1.42).Conclusions: A significant proportion of older people will have a chronic episode of opioid use. This risk is increased where a history of anxiety is present.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salva N Balbale ◽  
Lishan Cao ◽  
Itishree Trivedi ◽  
Jonah J Stulberg ◽  
Katie J Suda ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Introduction Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and disorders affect an increasingly large group of veterans. Opioid use may be rising in this population, but this is concerning from a patient safety perspective, given the risk of dependence and lack of evidence supporting opioid use to manage chronic pain. We examined the characteristics of opioid prescriptions and factors associated with chronic opioid use among chronic GI patients dually enrolled in the DVA and Medicare Part D. Materials and Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we used linked, national patient-level data (from April 1, 2011, to December 31, 2014) from the VA and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to identify chronic GI patients and observe opioid use. Veterans who had a chronic GI symptom or disorder were dually enrolled in VA and Part D and received ≥1 opioid prescription dispensed through the VA, Part D, or both. Chronic GI symptoms and disorders included chronic abdominal pain, chronic pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and functional GI disorders. Key outcome measures were outpatient opioid prescription dispensing overall and chronic opioid use, defined as ≥90 consecutive days of opioid receipt over 12 months. We described patient characteristics and opioid use measures using descriptive statistics. Using multiple logistic regression modeling, we generated adjusted odds ratios and 95% CIs to determine variables independently associated with chronic opioid use. The final model included variables outlined in the literature and our conceptual framework. Results We identified 141,805 veterans who had a chronic GI symptom or disorder, were dually enrolled in VA and Part D, and received ≥1 opioid prescription dispensed from the VA, Part D, or both. Twenty-six percent received opioids from the VA only, 69% received opioids from Medicare Part D only, and 5% were “dual users,” receiving opioids through both VA and Part D. Compared to veterans who received opioids from the VA or Part D only, dual users had a greater likelihood of potentially unsafe opioid use outcomes, including greater number of days on opioids, higher daily doses, and higher odds of chronic use. Conclusions Chronic GI patients in the VA may be frequent users of opioids and may have a unique set of risk factors for unsafe opioid use. Careful monitoring of opioid use among chronic GI patients may help to begin risk stratifying this group. and develop tailored approaches to minimize chronic use. The findings underscore potential nuances within the opioid epidemic and suggest that components of the VA’s Opioid Safety Initiative may need to be adapted around veterans at a higher risk of opioid-related adverse events.


BMJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. l1849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelius A Thiels ◽  
Elizabeth B Habermann ◽  
W Michael Hooten ◽  
Molly M Jeffery

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the risk of prolonged opioid use in patients receiving tramadol compared with other short acting opioids.DesignObservational study of administrative claims data.SettingUnited States commercial and Medicare Advantage insurance claims (OptumLabs Data Warehouse) January 1, 2009 through June 30, 2018.ParticipantsOpioid-naive patients undergoing elective surgery.Main outcome measureRisk of persistent opioid use after discharge for patients treated with tramadol alone compared with other short acting opioids, using three commonly used definitions of prolonged opioid use from the literature: additional opioid use (defined as at least one opioid fill 90-180 days after surgery); persistent opioid use (any span of opioid use starting in the 180 days after surgery and lasting ≥90 days); and CONSORT definition (an opioid use episode starting in the 180 days after surgery that spans ≥90 days and includes either ≥10 opioid fills or ≥120 days’ supply of opioids).ResultsOf 444 764 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 357 884 filled a discharge prescription for one or more opioids associated with one of 20 included operations. The most commonly prescribed post-surgery opioid was hydrocodone (53.0% of those filling a single opioid), followed by short acting oxycodone (37.5%) and tramadol (4.0%). The unadjusted risk of prolonged opioid use after surgery was 7.1% (n=31 431) with additional opioid use, 1.0% (n=4457) with persistent opioid use, and 0.5% (n=2027) meeting the CONSORT definition. Receipt of tramadol alone was associated with a 6% increase in the risk of additional opioid use relative to people receiving other short acting opioids (incidence rate ratio 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.13; risk difference 0.5 percentage points; P=0.049), 47% increase in the adjusted risk of persistent opioid use (1.25 to 1.69; 0.5 percentage points; P<0.001), and 41% increase in the adjusted risk of a CONSORT chronic opioid use episode (1.08 to 1.75; 0.2 percentage points; P=0.013).ConclusionsPeople receiving tramadol alone after surgery had similar to somewhat higher risks of prolonged opioid use compared with those receiving other short acting opioids. Federal governing bodies should consider reclassifying tramadol, and providers should use as much caution when prescribing tramadol in the setting of acute pain as for other short acting opioids.


2020 ◽  
pp. 193864002095010
Author(s):  
James M. Parrish ◽  
Rushabh M. Vakharia ◽  
Dillon C. Benson ◽  
Aaron K. Hoyt ◽  
Nathaniel W. Jenkins ◽  
...  

Background Patients with a history of opioid use disorder (OUD) tend to have more complications, higher readmission rates, and increased costs following orthopaedic procedures. This study evaluated patients undergoing hallux valgus correction for their odds of increased (1) readmission rates, (2) emergency room (ER) visits, and (3) costs. Methods Patients undergoing hallux valgus corrections with OUD history were identified using a national Medicare administrative claims database of approximately 24 million orthopaedic surgery patients. OUD patients were matched to non–opioid use disorder (NUD) patients in a 1:4 ratio by age, sex, Elixhauser-Comorbidity Index (ECI), diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and tobacco use. The query yielded 6318 patients (OUD = 1276; NUD = 5042) who underwent a hallux valgus correction. Primary outcomes analyzed included odds of 90-day readmission rates, 30-day ER visits, and 90-day episode-of-care costs. Demographics, odds ratios (ORs), ECI, and cost were assessed as appropriate using a Pearson χ2 test, logistic regression, and a t test. A P value <.05 was considered statistically significant. Results There were no significant differences in demographics between OUD and NUD patients. OUD patients had higher incidence and odds of 90-day readmission (9.56% vs 6.04%; OR = 1.55; P < .001) and 30-day ER visits (0.86% vs 0.35%; OR = 2.42; P = .021) and incurred greater 90-day episode-of-care costs ($7208.28 vs $6134.75; P < .001) compared with NUD patient controls. Conclusion The study demonstrates the possible influence of OUD on higher odds of readmission, ER visits, and costs following a hallux valgus correction. Levels of Evidence Level III: Retrospective cohort study


Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012107
Author(s):  
Aayushi Garg ◽  
Matthew Starr ◽  
Marcelo Rocha ◽  
Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez

Objective:For evaluation of 90-day readmissions following an inpatient admission for reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), hospitalizations due to RCVS were identified from the Nationwide Readmissions Database 2016-2017.Methods:The primary outcome of interest was non-elective readmission within 90 days of index hospitalization discharge. Survival analysis was performed, and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine the factors associated with readmission.Results:Among the 1,157 hospitalizations due to RCVS during the study period (mean±SD age: 48.6±16.1 years; women 76.4%), 164 (14.2%) patients had non-elective readmission within 90 days of discharge. The most common reasons for readmissions included acute cerebrovascular events (18.9%), continued or recurrent symptoms of RCVS (13.4%), infections (11.6%), and headache (9.8%). Diabetes, history of tobacco use, opioid use, and longer length of index hospitalization were independent predictors of 90-day readmission. For readmissions, the mean (SD) length of stay was 5.2 (6.1) days, and the mean (SD) cost per hospitalization was $14,214 ($15,140). There was no in-hospital mortality; however, 37.2% of patients were not discharged to home.Conclusion:Nearly 14% of patients with RCVS get readmitted within 90 days of discharge, and a significant proportion of these readmissions are due to the ongoing/recurrent symptoms or neurologic sequelae of RCVS. Given that these patients are at a risk of early recurrence/worsening of their symptoms, an early post-discharge follow-up plan may need to be integrated into their care.


BMJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. e066965
Author(s):  
James Wilton ◽  
Younathan Abdia ◽  
Mei Chong ◽  
Mohammad Ehsanul Karim ◽  
Stanley Wong ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To assess the association between long term prescription opioid treatment medically dispensed for non-cancer pain and the initiation of injection drug use (IDU) among individuals without a history of substance use. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Large administrative data source (containing information for about 1.7 million individuals tested for hepatitis C virus or HIV in British Columbia, Canada) with linkage to administrative health databases, including dispensations from community pharmacies. Participants Individuals age 11-65 years and without a history of substance use (except alcohol) at baseline. Main outcome measures Episodes of prescription opioid use for non-cancer pain were identified based on drugs dispensed between 2000 and 2015. Episodes were classified by the increasing length and intensity of opioid use (acute (lasting <90 episode days), episodic (lasting ≥90 episode days; with <90 days’ drug supply and/or <50% episode intensity), and chronic (lasting ≥90 episode days; with ≥90 days’ drug supply and ≥50% episode intensity)). People with a chronic episode were matched 1:1:1:1 on socioeconomic variables to those with episodic or acute episodes and to those who were opioid naive. IDU initiation was identified by a validated administrative algorithm with high specificity. Cox models weighted by inverse probability of treatment weights assessed the association between opioid use category (chronic, episodic, acute, opioid naive) and IDU initiation. Results 59 804 participants (14 951 people from each opioid use category) were included in the matched cohort, and followed for a median of 5.8 years. 1149 participants initiated IDU. Cumulative probability of IDU initiation at five years was highest for participants with chronic opioid use (4.0%), followed by those with episodic use (1.3%) and acute use (0.7%), and those who were opioid naive (0.4%). In the inverse probability of treatment weighted Cox model, risk of IDU initiation was 8.4 times higher for those with chronic opioid use versus those who were opioid naive (95% confidence interval 6.4 to 10.9). In a sensitivity analysis limited to individuals with a history of chronic pain, cumulative risk for those with chronic use (3.4% within five years) was lower than the primary results, but the relative risk was not (hazard ratio 9.7 (95% confidence interval 6.5 to 14.5)). IDU initiation was more frequent at higher opioid doses and younger ages. Conclusions The rate of IDU initiation among individuals who received chronic prescription opioid treatment for non-cancer pain was infrequent overall (3-4% within five years) but about eight times higher than among opioid naive individuals. These findings could have implications for strategies to prevent IDU initiation, but should not be used as a reason to support involuntary tapering or discontinuation of long term prescription opioid treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6579-6579
Author(s):  
Sondos Zayed ◽  
Cindy Lin ◽  
Gabriel Boldt ◽  
Nancy Read ◽  
Lucas Mendez ◽  
...  

6579 Background: Opioid overuse is a major international public health concern. The prevalence and risk factors for chronic opioid use (COU) in radiation-induced head and neck pain are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to estimate the rates of COU and to identify risk factors for COU in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing curative-intent radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, using the PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases, queried from dates of inception until present. COU was defined as persistent opioid use ≥3 months after treatment completion. Studies in the English language that reported on COU in HNC patients who received RT/CRT were included. Meta-analyses were performed using random effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 value. Results: A total of 134 studies were identified, with 7 retrospective studies (reporting on 1841 patients) meeting inclusion criteria. Median age was 59.4 years (range 56.0-62.0) with 1343 (72.9%) men and 498 (27.1%) women. Primary tumour locations included oropharynx (891, 48.4%), oral cavity (533, 29.0%), larynx (93, 5.1%), hypopharynx (32, 1.7%), and nasopharynx (29, 1.6%). 846 (46.0%) patients had stage I/II disease and 926 (50.3%) had stage III-IV disease. 301 (16.3%) patients had RT alone, 738 (40.1%) received CRT, and 594 (32.3%) underwent surgery followed by adjuvant RT/CRT. The proportion of HNC patients who received radiotherapy and developed COU was 40.7% at 3 months (95% CI 22.6%-61.7%, I2= 97.1%), 15.5% at 6 months (95% CI 7.3%-29.7%, I2= 94.3%) and 7.0% at 1 year. There were significant differences in COU based on primary tumor sites (P < 0.0001), with the highest rate (46.6%) in oropharyngeal malignancies. Other factors associated with COU included history of psychiatric disorder (61.7%), former/current alcohol abuse (53.9%), and start of opioids prior to radiation treatment (51.6%). There was no significant difference in the proportion of COU by gender (P = 0.683), disease stage (I/II vs III/IV; P = 0.443), or treatment received (RT, CRT, or adjuvant RT/CRT; P = 0.711). Conclusions: A significant proportion of patients who undergo radiotherapy for head and neck cancer suffer from COU. High-risk factors for COU include an oropharyngeal primary tumour, history of psychiatric disorder, former/current alcohol abuse, and pre-treatment opioid use. New strategies to mitigate opioid use are needed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6530-6530
Author(s):  
Yuan Xu ◽  
Colleen Ann Cuthbert ◽  
Safiya Karim ◽  
Shiying Kong ◽  
Joseph C. Dort ◽  
...  

6530 Background: Patients with cancer are vulnerable to chronic opioid use. Although opioid use may be appropriate, preliminary data suggest that a significant proportion may be using opioids inappropriately. This study aims to evaluate the association between the history of the providers’ opioid-prescribing patterns and post-surgical opioid use in cancer patients undergoing curative-intent surgery. Methods: This population-based study included all patients diagnosed with common solid tumors who received curative-intent surgery and were non-opioid users prior to surgery between 2009 and 2015 in Alberta, Canada. Based on previously published methods, a new persistent opioid user was defined as opioid-naïve prior to surgery and who subsequently filled at least one opioid prescription between 60 and 180 days after surgery. The opioid-prescribing patterns of a patient’s most responsible provider (MRP) were measured as the mean daily dosage (oral morphine equivalent, OME) that was prescribed to all other patients by that provider prior to the surgical date. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify associations between the MRP’s prescribing patterns and the patient’s opioid use after surgery. Results: 14,780 patients met the inclusion criteria and were associated with 2,880 MRPs, among which 2,364 (16%) patients became new persistent opioid users after surgery. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients with MRPs who routinely prescribed higher doses of opioids (≥60 vs. 0-59 mg OME: OR = 2.33, P < 0.0001) for their patients were associated with a greater risk of new persistent opioid use after surgery. In addition, those with a higher Charlson comorbidity index (P = 0.006), visited more prescribers (P < 0.0001), had a specific tumor type (breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, melanoma or kidney vs. others, P < 0.0001), received adjuvant chemotherapy (OR = 1.37, P < 0.0001), and received adjuvant radiation (OR = 1.3, P = 0.0004) were also associated with greater risk of new persistent opioid use after surgery. Conclusions: Our results suggest that prescribers with a history of prescribing higher opioid doses are an important predictor of chronic opioid use among cancer patients undergoing curative-intent surgery. Awareness of physician prescribing practices and their unintended consequences may inform strategies to minimize persistent post-operative opioid use in cancer patients.


CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S40-S41
Author(s):  
R. Daoust ◽  
J. Paquet ◽  
L. Moore ◽  
A. Cournoyer ◽  
M. Emond ◽  
...  

Introduction: Patients hospitalized following a trauma will be frequently treated with opioids during their stay and after discharge. We examined the relationship between acute phase (< 3 months) opioid use after discharge and the risk of opioid poisoning (OP) or opioid use disorder (OUD) in older trauma patients Methods: In a retrospective multicenter cohort study conducted on registry data, we included all patients aged 65 years and older admitted (hospital stay >2 days) for injury in 57 trauma centers in the province of Quebec (Canada) between 2004 and 2014. We searched for OP and OUD from ICD-9 and ICD-10 code diagnosis that resulted in a hospitalization or a medical consultation after their initial injury. Patients that filled an opioid prescription within a 3-month period after sustaining the trauma were compared to those who did not fill an opioid prescription during that period using Cox proportional hazards regressions. Results: A total of 70,314 participants were retained for analysis; median age was 82 years (IQR: 75-87), 68% were women, and 34% of the patients filled an opioid prescription within 3-months of the initial trauma. During a median follow-up of 2.6 years (IQR: 1-5), 192 participants (0.30%; 95%CI: 0.25%-0.35%) were hospitalized for OP and 73 (0.10%; 95%CI: 0.07%-0.13%) were diagnosed with OUD. Having filled an opioid prescription within 3-months of injury was associated with an increased hazard ratio of OP (2.6; 95%CI: 1.9-3.5) and OUD (4.0; 95%CI: 2.3-7.0). However, history of OP (2.7; 95%CI: 1.2-6.1), of substance use disorder (4.3; 95%CI: 2.4-7.9), or of opioid prescription filled (2.7; 95%CI: 2.1-3.5) before trauma were also related to OP or OUD. Conclusion: Opioid poisoning and opioid use disorder are rare events after hospitalization for trauma in older patients. However, opioids should be used cautiously in patients with history of substance use disorder, opioid poisoning or opioid use during the past year.


Circulation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 144 (20) ◽  
pp. 1590-1597
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Markman ◽  
Chase R. Brown ◽  
Lin Yang ◽  
Gustavo S. Guandalini ◽  
Matthew C. Hyman ◽  
...  

Background: Prescription opioids are a major contributor to the ongoing epidemic of persistent opioid use (POU). The incidence of POU among opioid-naïve patients after cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) procedures is unknown. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from a national administrative claims database from 2004 to 2018 of patients undergoing CIED procedures. Adult patients were included if they were opioid-naïve during the 180-day period before the procedure and did not undergo another procedure with anesthesia in the next 180 days. POU was defined by filling an additional opioid prescription >30 days after the CIED procedure. Results: Of the 143 400 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 15 316 (11%) filled an opioid prescription within 14 days of surgery. Among these patients, POU occurred in 1901 (12.4%) patients 30 to 180 days after surgery. The likelihood of developing POU was increased for patients who had a history of drug abuse (odds ratio, 1.52; P =0.005), preoperative muscle relaxant (odds ratio, 1.52; P <0.001) or benzodiazepine (odds ratio, 1.23; P =0.001) use, or opioid use in the previous 5 years (OR, 1.76; P <0.0001). POU did not differ after subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator or other CIED procedures (11.1 versus 12.4%; P =0.5). In a sensitivity analysis excluding high-risk patients who were discharged to a facility or who had a history of drug abuse or previous opioid, benzodiazepine, or muscle relaxant use, 8.9% of the remaining cohort had POU. Patients prescribed >135 mg of oral morphine equivalents had a significantly increased risk of POU. Conclusions: POU is common after CIED procedures, and 12% of patients continued to use opioids >30 days after surgery. Higher initially prescribed oral morphine equivalent doses were associated with developing POU.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document