Prevalence of Emergency Department Patients Presenting with Heroin or Prescription Opioid Abuse Residing in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Jefferson County

Abstract

BackgroundHeroin and prescription opioid abuse in the United States is exhibiting a growing geographic ubiquity. ObjectivesThis study characterizes the changing geographic distribution of patients presenting with heroin and prescription opioid abuse to one urban emergency department (ED). MethodsA retrospective review of patients with heroin and prescription opioid abuse from 2009–2014 was conducted in one adult urban ED. The primary outcome was the prevalence of heroin and prescription opioid patients residing in urban, suburban, and rural ZIP codes over time. ResultsFrom 2009 to 2014, 2695 patients presented for either heroin (N = 1436; 53%) or prescription opioid (N = 1259; 47%) abuse from 32 Jefferson County ZIP codes. Of the 32 ZIP codes, 15 were urban (47%), 13 suburban (41%), and 4 rural (12%). The prevalence of heroin patients (per 10,000 population) increased in each ZIP code from 2009–2014. After 2011, prescription opioid prevalence decreased in urban and suburban ZIP codes but increased in rural ones. Using segmented regression analysis, the increase in patients who used heroin residing in all ZIP codes and the decrease in patients abusing prescription opioids residing in urban areas was statistically significant after 2011. ConclusionFrom 2009 to 2014, there was an increasing trend in ED patients using heroin who resided in urban, suburban, and rural ZIP codes. There was an increasing trend in prescription opioid prevalence in all regions from 2009 to 2011. After 2011, prescription opioid prevalence decreased in urban and suburban ZIP codes but not rural ZIP codes.