Risk Of Long-term Opioid Use Research Articles

The risk of long-term opioid use among immigrants: a national registry-linkage study.

We aimed to investigate the association between being an immigrant and long-term prescription opioid use in Norway in 2010-2019. Nested case-control study. The cases were all persons 18 years of age or older with long-term opioid use - that is, the use of prescription opioids longer than 3 months (N=215,642). Cases were matched to four controls who filled at least one opioid prescription, but never developed long-term opioid use in the study period (N=862,568) on sex, age and year of starting long-term/short-term opioid use. Being an immigrant was defined as being born outside of Norway to two foreign-born parents and four foreign-born grandparents. Adjusting for socioeconomic variables and clinical confounders, analyses were stratified on three age groups (18-44 years, 45-67 years and ⩾68 years). For the youngest age group, being an immigrant was inversely associated with long-term opioid use (adjusted odds ratio 0.75; 95% confidence interval [0.72-0.77]) compared with being native-born people. For this age group, the odds ratio differed between people born in Africa (0.56 [0.52-0.62]), Central or South America (0.70 [0.62-0.79]), Europe outside the European Union (EU) (0.71 [0.65-0.77]), Asia including Turkey (0.80 [0.77-0.84]) and EU/European Economic Area (EEA) (0.81 [0.77-0.85]). For the middle age group, increased odds were found for immigrants versus natives (1.05 [1.02-1.08]) in particular for those born in North America (1.26 [1.13-1.40]) and the EU/EEA (1.13 [1.09-1.18]). There was no association in the oldest group. Compared with native-born people, immigrants had lower odds of long-term opioid use among younger adults, higher odds among middle-aged and similar odds among older adults.

Factors associated with long-term opioid use among patients with axial spondyloarthritis or psoriatic arthritis who initiated opioids.

Up to one in five patients with axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) newly initiated on opioids transition to long-term use within the first year. This study aimed to investigate individual factors associated with long-term opioid use among opioid new users with AxSpA/PsA. Adult patients with AxSpA/PsA and without prior cancer who initiated opioids between 2006-2021 were included from Clinical Practice Research Datalink Gold, a national UK primary care database. Long-term opioid use was defined as having ≥3 opioid prescriptions issued within 90 days, or ≥ 90 days of opioid supply, in the first year of follow-up. Individual factors assessed included sociodemographic, lifestyle factors, medication use and comorbidities. A mixed-effects logistic regression model with patient-level random intercept was used to examine the association of individual characteristics with the odds of long-term opioid use. In total 10 300 opioid initiations were identified from 8,212 patients (3037 AxSpA; 5175 PsA). The following factors were associated with long-term opioid use: being a current smoker (OR : 1.62; 95%CI : 1.38,1.90), substance use disorder (OR : 2.34, 95%CI : 1.05,5.21), history of suicide/self-harm (OR : 1.84; 95%CI : 1.13,2.99), co-existing fibromyalgia (OR : 1.62; 95%CI : 1.11,2.37), higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR : 3.61; 95%CI : 1.69,7.71 for high scores), high MME/day at initiation (OR : 1.03; 95%CI : 1.02,1.03) and gabapentinoid (OR : 2.35; 95%CI : 1.75,3.16) and antidepressant use (OR : 1.69; 95%CI : 1.45,1.98). In AxSpA/PsA patients requiring pain relief, awareness of lifestyle, sociodemographic and prescribing characteristics associated with higher risk of long-term opioid use can prompt timely interventions such as structured medication reviews and smoking cessation to promote safer prescribing and better patient outcomes.

Trends in Opioid Prescribing and New Persistent Opioid Use After Surgery in the United States.

To define recent trends in opioid prescribing after surgery and new persistent opioid use in the United States. New persistent opioid use after surgery among opioid-naïve individuals has emerged as an important postoperative complication. In response, initiatives to promote more appropriate post-operative opioid prescribing have been adopted in recent years. However, current estimates of opioid prescribing and new persistent opioid use following surgery remain unknown. A retrospective cohort study of opioid-naïve privately insured adult patients undergoing 17 common surgical procedures between 2013 and 2021 was conducted utilizing multi-payer claims data from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). Initial opioid prescription size in oral morphine equivalents and new persistent opioid use were the outcomes of interest. Trends in opioid prescribing and rates of new persistent opioid use were evaluated across the study period. Mixed effects logistic regression was performed to evaluate independent predictors of new persistent opioid use while adjusting for patient-level factors and year. Among 989,354 opioid-naïve individuals, the adjusted initial opioid prescription size decreased from 282 mg OME to 164mg OME, a reduction of 118mg OME (95% CI: 116-120). The adjusted incidence of new persistent opioid use decreased from 2.7% in 2013 (95% CI: 2.6%-2.8%) to 1.1% in 2021 (95% CI: 1.0%-1.2%). For every 30 OME increase in initial opioid prescription size, new persistent opioid use increased by 3.1%. Other predictors of new persistent opioid use included preoperative non-opioid controlled substances fills (31-365 days: aOR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.70-1.86; 0-30 days: aOR=2.71, 95% CI: 2.59-2.84) and undergoing orthopedic procedures (total knee arthroplasty (aOR=3.43, 95% CI: 3.15-3.72); shoulder arthroscopy (aOR=2.39, 95% CI: 2.24-2.56)). Both opioid prescription size after surgery and new persistent opioid use decreased over the last decade, suggesting that opioid stewardship practices had favorable effects on the risk of long-term opioid use.

New persistent opioid use following robotic-assisted, laparoscopic and open surgery inguinal hernia repair

IntroductionPost-operative prescription opioid use is a known risk factor for persistent opioid use. Despite the increased utilization of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) for inguinal hernia repair (IHR), little is known whether this minimally invasive approach results in less opioid consumption. In this study, we compare long-term opioid use between RAS versus laparoscopic (Lap) versus open surgery for IHR.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of opioid-naïve patients who underwent outpatient primary IHR was conducted using the Merative™ MarketScan® (Previously IBM MarketScan®) Databases between 2016 and 2020. Patients not continuously enrolled 180 days before/after surgery, who had malignancy, pre-existing chronic pain, opioid dependency, or invalid prescription fill information were excluded. Among patients exposed to opioids peri-operatively, we assessed long-term opioid use as any opioid prescription fill within 90 to 180 days post-surgery. Secondary outcomes were controlled substance schedule II/III opioid fill, and high-dose opioid fill defined as > 50 morphine milligram equivalent per day. An Inverse-probability of treatment weighted logistic regression was used to compare outcomes between groups with p-value of < 0.05 considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 41,271 patients were identified (2070 (5.0%) RAS, 16,704 (40.5%) Lap, and 22,497 (54.5%) open surgery). RAS was associated with less likelihood of prescription fills for any opioid (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.98 versus Lap; OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.85 versus open), and schedule II/III opioid (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.96 versus Lap; OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.88 versus open), but comparable high-dose opioid fill (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.54 to 1.55 versus Lap; OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.52 versus open). Lap and open surgery had no significant difference.ConclusionIn this cohort of patients derived from a national commercial claims dataset, patients undergoing RAS had a decreased risk of long-term opioid use compared to laparoscopic and open surgery patients undergoing IHR.

Development and internal validation of a prediction model for long-term opioid use-an analysis of insurance claims data.

In the United States, a public-health crisis of opioid overuse has been observed, and in Europe, prescriptions of opioids are strongly increasing over time. The objective was to develop and validate a multivariable prognostic model to be used at the beginning of an opioid prescription episode, aiming to identify individual patients at high risk for long-term opioid use based on routinely collected data. Predictors including demographics, comorbid diseases, comedication, morphine dose at episode initiation, and prescription practice were collected. The primary outcome was long-term opioid use, defined as opioid use of either >90 days duration and ≥10 claims or >120 days, independent of the number of claims. Traditional generalized linear statistical regression models and machine learning approaches were applied. The area under the curve, calibration plots, and the scaled Brier score assessed model performance. More than four hundred thousand opioid episodes were included. The final risk prediction model had an area under the curve of 0.927 (95% confidence interval 0.924-0.931) in the validation set, and this model had a scaled Brier score of 48.5%. Using a threshold of 10% predicted probability to identify patients at high risk, the overall accuracy of this risk prediction model was 81.6% (95% confidence interval 81.2% to 82.0%). Our study demonstrated that long-term opioid use can be predicted at the initiation of an opioid prescription episode, with satisfactory accuracy using data routinely collected at a large health insurance company. Traditional statistical methods resulted in higher discriminative ability and similarly good calibration as compared with machine learning approaches.

Poster 125: Cannabis Use Disorder is Not Associated with Opioid Analgesic Use or Patient-Reported Outcomes after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Retrospective Matched-Cohort Analysis

Objectives: Cannabis use disorder (CUD), also known as marijuana use disorder, is prevalent yet underdiagnosed psychiatric condition among the U.S. population. Epidemiologic studies have identified a high rate of comorbidity between CUD and chronic pain and other psychiatric disorders. There is a concern among orthopedic surgeons that patients with CUD who undergo elective procedures, such as anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), may be at higher risk for long-term opioid use and poorer outcomes following surgery. The aim of this study was to compare opioid use and patient- reported outcomes (PROs) following ACLR between patients with CUD versus controls. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients with an active diagnosis of CUD who underwent primary ACLR surgery at a single center from 2011-2021 with minimum 3-month follow-up. Patients with CUD were identified using ICD-10 code F12 and its associated sub-codes. CUD patients were matched to controls on age, sex, and follow-up time using greedy nearest-neighbor propensity score matching. Analgesic prescriptions up to one year postoperative were abstracted from medical records and all opioid analgesic doses were converted to morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs). Pre- and post-operative Patient-Reported Outcome Information System (PROMIS) scores, 90-day readmissions, and 90-day revisions were also abstracted from medical records. Outcomes were compared between CUD and control groups using Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher’s exact test. P-values &lt;0.05 were considered significant. Results: 104 CUD patients were matched to 104 controls. Sex demographics were the same in both groups (65.4% male, 34.6% female) and there were no significant differences in mean age (CUD 29.9 vs control 29.2 years; p=0.57), BMI (CUD 25.5 vs control 25.5 years; p=0.95), or follow-up time (CUD 16.1 vs control 15.1 months; p=0.65). Both groups were prescribed postoperative opioids at similar rates (CUD 82.7% vs control 83.7%; p=1.00). Among those prescribed opioids, there were no significant differences in total days supplied (CUD 12.5 vs control 10.8; p=0.67), total MMEs (CUD 558 vs control 445; p=0.71), or MMEs per day (CUD 47.5 vs control 46.3; p=0.65). Likewise, there were no significant differences in pre-to-postoperative improvement in PROMIS Pain Intensity (CUD -5.8 vs control -5.1; p=0.51), Pain Interference (CUD -8.3 vs control -7.6; p=0.81), Mobility (CUD 10.9 vs control 11.1; p=0.90), Mental Health (CUD 0.03 vs control 0.54; p=0.74), or Physical Health (CUD 3.9 vs control 4.2; p=0.94). Conclusions: Patients with CUD do not appear to consume opioid analgesics at a higher frequency or duration than their counterparts without CUD following ACLR surgery. Furthermore, both groups experience similar improvements in patient-reported outcomes following ACLR and these improvements are not diminished among CUD patients. While orthopedic surgeons should continue to screen patients for cannabis use as part of a thorough preoperative assessment, cannabis abuse or dependence in itself is not cause for concern for worse post-ACLR outcomes.

Surgical Approach Does Not Affect Chronic Opioid Usage After Total Hip Arthroplasty

BackgroundThree different surgical approaches (the direct anterior, antero-lateral, and posterior) are commonly used for total hip arthroplasty (THA). Due to an internervous and intermuscular approach, the direct anterior approach may result in less postoperative pain and opioid use, although all 3 approaches have similar outcomes 5 years after surgery. Perioperative opioid medication consumption poses a dose-dependent risk of long-term opioid use. We hypothesized that the direct anterior approach is associated with less opioid usage over 180 days after surgery than the antero-lateral or posterior approaches. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed including 508 patients (192 direct anterior, 207 antero-lateral, and 109 posterior approaches). Patient demographics and surgical characteristics were identified from the medical records. The state prescription database was used to determine opioid use 90 days before and 1 year after THA. Regression analyses controlling for sex, race, age, and body mass index were used to determine the effect of surgical approach on opioid use over 180 days after surgery. ResultsNo difference was seen in the proportion of long-term opioid users based on approach (P = .78). There was no significant difference in the distribution of opioid prescriptions filled between surgical approach groups in the year after surgery (P = .35). Not taking opioids 90 days prior to surgery, regardless of approach, was associated with a 78% decrease in the odds of becoming a chronic opioid user (P < .0001). ConclusionOpioid use prior to surgery, rather than THA surgical approach, was associated with chronic opioid consumption following THA.

Long-term opioid use following bicycle trauma: a register-based cohort study

PurposeChronic opioid use is a significant public health burden. Orthopaedic trauma is one of the main indications for opioid prescription. We aimed to assess the risk for long-term opioid use in a healthy patient cohort.MethodsIn this matched cohort study, bicycle trauma patients from a Swedish Level-I-Trauma Centre in 2006–2015 were matched with comparators on age, sex, and municipality. Information about dispensed opioids 6 months prior until 18 months following the trauma, data on injuries, comorbidity, and socioeconomic factors were received from national registers. Among bicycle trauma patients, the associations between two exposures (educational level and injury to the lower extremities) and the risk of long-term opioid use (> 3 months after the trauma) were assessed in multivariable logistic regression models.ResultsOf 907 bicycle trauma patients, 419 (46%) received opioid prescriptions, whereof 74 (8%) became long-term users. In the first quarter after trauma, the mean opioid use was significantly higher in the trauma patients than in the comparators (253.2 mg vs 35.1 mg, p < 0.001) and fell thereafter to the same level as in the comparators. Severe injury to the lower extremities was associated with an increased risk of long-term opioid use [OR 4.88 (95% CI 2.34–10.15)], whereas high educational level had a protecting effect [OR 0.42 (95% CI 0.20–0.88)].ConclusionThe risk of long-term opioid use after a bicycle trauma was low. However, opioids should be prescribed with caution, especially in those with injury to lower extremities or low educational level.

Long-Term Prescription Opioid Use After Injury in Washington State 2015–2018

BackgroundPatients with injury may be at high risk of long-term opioid use due to the specific features of injury (e.g., injury severity), as well as patient, treatment, and provider characteristics that may influence their injury-related pain management. ObjectivesInform prescribing practices and identify high-risk populations through studying chronic prescription opioid use in the trauma population. MethodsUsing the Washington State All-Payer Claims Database (WA-APCD) data, we included adults aged 18–65 years with an incident injury from October 1, 2015–December 31, 2017. We compared patient, injury, treatment, and provider characteristics by whether or not the patients had long-term (≥ 90 days continuous prescription opioid use), or no opioid use after injury. ResultsWe identified 191,130 patients who met eligibility criteria and were included in our cohort; 5822 met criteria for long-term use. Most had minor injuries, with a median Injury Severity Score = 1, with no difference between groups. Almost all patients with long-term opioid use had filled an opioid prescription in the year prior to their injury (95.3%), vs. 31.3% in the no-use group (p < 0.001). Comorbidities associated with chronic pain, mental health, and substance use conditions were more common in the long-term than the no-use group. ConclusionAcross this large cohort of multiple, mostly minor, injury types, long-term opioid use was relatively uncommon, but almost all patients with chronic use post injury had preinjury opioid use. Long-term opioid use after injury may be more closely tied to preinjury chronic pain and pain management than acute care pain management.

Eliminating postoperative opioid prescriptions is associated with lower long term opioid use (523)

<b>Objectives:</b> Since postoperative narcotics have been associated with the risk of long-term opioid use, they are no longer prescribed at our institution for patients undergoing robotic surgery for endometrial hyperplasia or endometrial carcinoma. This study compared postoperative narcotic use in the current cohort with a historical cohort who were prescribed postoperative opioids to assess the effect of the change in practice. <b>Methods:</b> We performed a retrospective chart review of 123 patients who underwent a robotic hysterectomy for endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma. Group 1 patients underwent surgery between August 2017 and February 2018 and received opioid prescriptions. Group 2 underwent surgery between January and June 2020 and did not receive postoperative opioid prescriptions. We reviewed medical records and the New York State Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing (I-STOP), which reports all narcotic prescriptions filled in the state in the past 12 months. Narcotic use was assessed in one- month intervals for a total of 12 months after surgery. Demographic information, including diagnosis, histology, adjuvant therapy, insurance, median income based on zip code, and medical comorbid conditions, were collected. Results were analyzed using a hierarchical Bayesian ordinal regression model to determine whether Group 2 had a lower risk of opioid use and to evaluate other possible factors. The variable of interest was the time (months) from surgery to the patient filling an opiate prescription. <b>Results:</b> Group 1 had 57 patients, and Group 2 had 66 patients. There was no significant difference in age, median income, cancer stage, grade, histology, or adjuvant therapy between the groups. Group 1 had significantly more patients with private insurance (93% vs 53% p <0.0001) and fewer patients with favorable CCI scores of 1-4 (70% with vs 50%, p 0.02) compared to Group 2; however, only private insurance remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Prescriptions for opioids were filled more often by patients in Group 1 than Group 2 at immediate postop 0-1 months (79% vs 7%), 1-6 months (14% vs 6%) and 6-12 months (17% vs 6%). Opioid use was significantly higher across all measured time frames in patients who were prescribed postoperative opioids with a mean effect size of -0.99 with a 95% credible interval of -1.93 to -0.11. Lower Grade endometrial cancer was also associated with reduced opioid use with a mean effect size of -2.66 with 95% credible interval of -4.7 to -0.45 for Grade 1 and mean effect size -2.18 with 95% credible interval -4.4 to -0.16 for Grade 2. Fig. 1 <b>Conclusions:</b> Eliminating postoperative opioid prescriptions was associated with a significant decrease in both short- and long-term opioid use. While insurance type varied between the two groups, this was not an independent risk factor. The clinical relevance of the association of grade with opioid use is unclear as there was no association with stage or adjuvant therapy. Limitations of our study are the small sample size and possible confounders, including increasing awareness of the opioid crisis and a change in prescribing practices by other providers over time. This study supports avoiding prescribing opioids in the postoperative period.

Continued opioid use following an emergency department presentation for low back pain

To investigate the proportion of patients with low back pain who receive an opioid analgesic prescription on hospital discharge, the proportion using opioid analgesics 4 weeks after discharge, and to identify predictors of continued opioid analgesic use at 4 weeks after an ED presentation in opioid-naïve patients. An observational cohort study nested within a randomised controlled trial in four EDs in New South Wales, Australia. Participants were adults who presented to the ED with non-specific low back pain or low back pain with lower limb neurological signs and symptoms. Electronic medical records supplemented the patient-reported pain and use of opioid analgesics at 4-week follow up. Of the 104 patients included, 33 (31.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 22.9-41.6) received an opioid analgesic prescription at hospital discharge and 38 (36.5%, 95% CI 27.3-46.6) reported taking an opioid analgesic for pain 4 weeks after the ED presentation. Among opioid-naïve patients (n=85), older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.08, P =0.031) was the only predictor for continued opioid analgesic use at 4 weeks post-ED presentation. About one-third of patients who present to the ED with low back pain receive an opioid analgesic prescription on discharge and are taking an opioid analgesic 4 weeks later. These findings justify future research to identify strategies to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use in patients who present to the ED with low back pain.

176. A Pilot Study to Inform the Development of the PlaySMART Videogame Intervention to Prevent the Initiation of Opioid Misuse among Adolescents and Young Adults

The U.S. opioid epidemic is a major public health concern. Misusing opioids in adolescence is associated with an increased risk of long-term opioid use in adults. Therefore, preventing the initiation of opioid misuse among adolescents by targeting youth mental health strategies is critical. The purpose of this study was to inform the development of a videogame prevention intervention, PlaySMART, that will subsequently be tested in a large RCT with school-based health centers.

Opioid Prescription Following Wrist and Ankle Fracture Fixation in Scotland-Tradition Prevails.

The American ‘opioid crisis’ is rapidly spreading internationally. Perioperative opioid use increases the risk of long-term opioid use. We review opioid use following wrist and ankle fracture fixation across Scotland, establishing prescribing patterns and associations with patient, injury, or perioperative factors. Six Scottish orthopedic units contributed. A total of 598 patients were included. Patient demographics were similar across all sites. There was variation in anesthetic practice, length of stay, and AO fracture type (p < 0.01). For wrist fractures, 85.6% of patients received a discharge opioid prescription; 5.0% contained a strong opioid. There was no significant variation across the six units in prescribing practice. For ankle fractures, 82.7% of patients received a discharge opioid prescription; 17% contained a strong opioid. Dundee and Edinburgh used more strong opioids; Inverness and Paisley gave the least opioids overall (p < 0.01). Younger patient age, location, and length of stay were independent predictors of increased prescription on binary regression. Despite variability in perioperative practices, discharge opioid analgesic prescription remains overwhelmingly consistent. We believe that the biggest influence lies with the prescriber-institutional ‘standard practice’. Education of these prescribing clinicians regarding the risk profile of opioids is key to reducing their use following surgery, thus lowering long-term opioid dependence.

Incidence and risk factors for prolonged postoperative opioid use following lumbar spine surgery: a cohort study.

Sustained postoperative opioid use after elective surgery is a matter of growing concern. Herein, the authors investigated incidence and predictors of long-term opioid use among patients undergoing elective lumbar spine surgery, especially as a function of opioid prescribing practices at postoperative discharge (dose in morphine milligram equivalents [MMEs] and type of opioid). The OptumLabs Data Warehouse (OLDW) was queried for postdischarge opioid prescriptions for patients undergoing elective lumbar decompression and discectomy (LDD) or posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) for degenerative spine disease. Only patients who received an opioid prescription at postoperative discharge and those who had a minimum of 180 days of insurance coverage prior to surgery and 180 days after surgery were included. Opioid-naive patients were defined as those who had no opioid fills in 180 days prior to surgery. The following patterns of long-term postoperative use were investigated: additional fills (at least one opioid fill 90-180 days after surgery), persistent fills (any span of opioid use starting in the 180 days after surgery and lasting at least 90 days), and Consortium to Study Opioid Risks and Trends (CONSORT) criteria for persistent use (episodes of opioid prescribing lasting longer than 90 days and 120 or more total days' supply or 10 or more prescriptions in 180 days after the index fill). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of long-term use. A total of 25,587 patients were included, of whom 52.7% underwent PLF (n = 13,486) and 32.5% (n = 8312) were opioid-naive prior to surgery. The rates of additional fills, persistent fills, and CONSORT use were 47%, 30%, and 23%, respectively, after PLF and 35.4%, 19%, and 14.2%, respectively, after LDD. The rates among opioid-naive patients were 18.9%, 5.6%, and 2.5% respectively, after PLF and 13.3%, 2.0%, and 0.8%, respectively, after LDD. Using multivariable logistic regression, the following were identified to be significantly associated with higher risk of long-term opioid use following PLF: discharge opioid prescription ≥ 500 MMEs, prescription of a long-acting opioid, female sex, multilevel surgery, and comorbidities such as depression and drug abuse (all p < 0.05). Elderly (age ≥ 65 years) and opioid-naive patients were found to be at lower risk (all p < 0.05). Similar results were obtained on analysis for LDD with the following significant additional risk factors identified: discharge opioid prescription ≥ 400 MMEs, prescription of tramadol alone at discharge, and inpatient surgery (all p < 0.05). In an analysis of pharmacy claims from a national insurance database, the authors identified incidence and predictors of long-term opioid use after elective lumbar spine surgery.

Association of Physical Therapy Interventions With Long-term Opioid Use After Total Knee Replacement

Many individuals who undergo total knee replacement (TKR) become long-term opioid users after TKR. Associations of physical therapy (PT) interventions before or after TKR with long-term use of opioids are not known. To evaluate associations of PT interventions before and after TKR with long-term opioid use after TKR. This cohort study used data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse on 67 322 individuals aged 40 years or older who underwent TKR from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2016, stratified by history of opioid use. The analyses for the study included data from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2018. Any PT interventions within 90 days before or after TKR, post-TKR PT dose as number of sessions (ie, 1-5, 6-12, and ≥13 sessions), post-TKR PT timing as number of days to initiation of care (ie, <30 days, 31-60 days, or 61-90 days after TKR), and post-TKR PT type (ie, active vs passive). The association of pre- and post-TKR PT with risk of long-term opioid use occurring more than 90 days after TKR was assessed using logistic regression while adjusting for confounders, including age, sex, race and ethnicity (Asian, Black, Hispanic, or White), obesity, type of insurance, geographical location, and physical and mental health comorbidities. A total of 38 408 opioid-naive individuals (21 336 women [55.6%]; mean [SD] age, 66.2 [9.2] years) and 28 914 opioid-experienced individuals (18 426 women [63.7%]; mean [SD] age, 64.4 [9.3] years) were included. Receipt of any PT before TKR was associated with lower odds of long-term opioid use in the opioid-naive (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.75 [95% CI, 0.60-0.95]) and opioid-experienced (aOR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.70-0.80]) cohorts. Receipt of any post-TKR PT was associated with lower odds of long-term use of opioids in the opioid-experienced cohort (aOR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.70-0.79]). Compared with 1 to 5 sessions of PT after TKR, 6 to 12 sessions (aOR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.75-0.90]) and 13 or more sessions (aOR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.65-0.77) were associated with lower odds in the opioid-experienced cohort. Compared with initiation of PT within 30 days after TKR, initiation 31 to 60 days or 61 to 90 days after TKR were associated with greater odds in the opioid-naive (31-60 days: aOR, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.19-1.77]; 61-90 days: aOR, 2.15 [95% CI, 1.43-3.22]) and opioid-experienced (31-60 days: aOR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.02-1.18]; 61-90 days: aOR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.12-1.55]) cohorts. Compared with passive PT, active PT was not associated with long-term opioid use in the opioid-naive (aOR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.81-1.24]) or opioid-experienced (aOR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.92-1.07]) cohorts. This cohort study suggests that receipt of PT intervention before and after TKR, receipt of 6 or more sessions of PT care after TKR, and initiation of PT care within 30 days after TKR were associated with lower odds of long-term opioid use. These findings suggest that PT may help reduce the risk of long-term opioid use after TKR.

Does Engaging Patients with Relevant Education About Long-Term Opioid Use Before Spine Surgery Affect Long-term Opioid Use? A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Parallel-arm randomized controlled trial. To assess the effectiveness of an enhanced video education session highlighting risks of opioid utilization on longterm opioid utilization after spine surgery. Long-term opioid use occurs in more than half of patients undergoing spine surgery and strategies to reduce this use are needed. Patients undergoing spine surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center between July 2015 and February 2017 were recruited at their preoperative appointment, receiving the singlesession interactive video education or control at that same appointment. Opioid utilization was tracked for the full year after surgery from the Pharmacy Data Transaction Service of the Military Health System Data Repository. Self-reported pain also collected weekly for 1 and at 6months. A total of 120 participants (40 women, 33.3%) with a mean age of 45.9 ± 10.6 years were randomized 1:1 to the enhanced education and usual care control (60 per group). In the year following surgery the cohort had a mean 5.1 (standard deviation [SD] 5.9) unique prescription fills, mean total days' supply was 88.3 (SD 134.9), and mean cumulative morphine milligrams equivalents per participant was 4193.0 (SD 12,187.9) within the year after surgery, with no significant differences in any opioid use measures between groups. Twelve individuals in the standard care group and 13 in the enhanced education group were classified with having long-term opioid utilization. The video education session did not influence opioid use after spine surgery compared to the usual care control. There was no significant difference in individuals classified as long-term opioid users after surgery based on the intervention group. Prior opioid use was a strong predictor of future opioid use in this cohort. Strategies to improve education engagement, understanding, and decision- making continue to be of high importance for mitigating risk of long-term opioid use after spine surgery.Level of Evidence: 1.

Emergency department physical therapy: An important tool for emergency physicians.

A collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to medical care has become increasingly common place in modern medicine. Often part of this multidisciplinary team, especially in the inpatient setting, are physical therapists (PT). PT education and training provide useful insight into techniques to improve patients' physical functionality and reduce pain. They often provide patients with the education on how to participate in their own treatment and equip them with the tools for self-care outside of the hospital or clinic setting.

Pain Trajectories Following Subarachnoid Hemorrhage are Associated with Continued Opioid Use at Outpatient Follow-up.

BackgroundSubarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is characterized by the worst headache of life and associated with long-term opioid use. Discrete pain trajectories predict chronic opioid use following other etiologies of acute pain, but it is unknown whether they exist following SAH. If discrete pain trajectories following SAH exist, it is uncertain whether they predict long-term opioid use. We sought to characterize pain trajectories after SAH and determine whether they are associated with persistent opioid use.MethodsWe reviewed pain scores from patients admitted to a single tertiary care center for SAH from November 2015 to September 2019. Group-based trajectory modeling identified discrete pain trajectories during hospitalization. We compared outcomes across trajectory groups using χ2 and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Multivariable regression determined whether trajectory group membership was an independent predictor of long-term opioid use, defined as continued use at outpatient follow-up.ResultsWe identified five discrete pain trajectories among 305 patients. Group 1 remained pain free. Group 2 reported low scores with intermittent spikes and slight increase over time. Group 3 noted increasing pain severity through day 7 with mild improvement until day 14. Group 4 experienced maximum pain with steady decrement over time. Group 5 reported moderate pain with subtle improvement. In multivariable analysis, trajectory groups 3 (odds ratio [OR] 3.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5–8.3) and 5 (OR 8.0; 95% CI 3.1–21.1), history of depression (OR 3.6; 95% CI 1.3–10.0) and racial/ethnic minority (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.3–4.1) were associated with continued opioid use at follow-up (median 62 days following admission, interquartile range 48–96).ConclusionsDiscrete pain trajectories following SAH exist. Recognition of pain trajectories may help identify those at risk for long-term opioid use.

Opioid Consumption Patterns and Prolonged Opioid Use Among Opioid-Naïve Ankle Fracture Patients.

Previous literature has demonstrated an association between acute opioid exposure and the risk of long-term opioid use. Here, the investigators assess immediate postoperative opioid consumption patterns as well as the incidence of prolonged opioid use among opioid-naïve patients following ankle fracture surgery. Included patients underwent outpatient open reduction and internal fixation of an ankle or tibial plafond fracture over a 1-year period. At patients' first postoperative visit, opioid pills were counted and standardized to the equivalent number of 5-mg oxycodone pills. Prolonged use was defined as filling a prescription for a controlled substance more than 90 days after the index procedure, tracked by the New Jersey Prescription Drug Monitoring Program up to 1 year postoperatively. At the first postoperative visit, 173 patients consumed a median of 24 out of 40 pills prescribed. The initial utilization rate was 60%, and 2736 pills were left unused. In all, 32 (18.7%) patients required a narcotic prescription 90 days after the index procedure. Patients with a self-reported history of depression (P = .11) or diabetes (P = .07) demonstrated marginal correlation with prolonged narcotic use. Our study demonstrated that, on average, patients utilize significantly fewer opioid pills than prescribed and that many patient demographics are not significant predictors of continued long-term use following outpatient ankle fracture surgery. Large variations in consumption rates make it difficult for physicians to accurately prescribe and predict prolonged narcotic use. Level III.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol for Opioid Use Reduction in Ambulatory Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery

Abstract Introduction: The risk of long-term opioid use (90–180 days) in previously opioid-naive patients ranges from 5.9% to 6.5%.1,2 Recent studies conducted investigating whether implementing an...