Risk Of Long-term Opioid Use Research Articles

A Biofeedback Enhanced Adaptive Virtual Reality Environment for Managing Surgical Pain and Anxiety

Pain and anxiety are common accompaniments of surgery, and opioids have been the mainstay of pain management for decades, with about 80% of the surgical population leaving the hospital with an opioid prescription. Moreover, patients receiving an opioid prescription after short-stay surgeries have a 44% increased risk of long-term opioid use, and about one in 16 surgical patients becomes a long-term user. Current opioid abuse and addiction now place the US in an “opioid epidemic,” and calls for alternative pain management mechanisms. To mitigate the preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain, we developed a virtual reality (VR) experience based on Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and integrated the user’s heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback to create an adaptive environment. A randomized control trial among 16 Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) patients undergoing surgery at Patewood Memorial Hospital, Greenville, SC demonstrated that patients experiencing the adaptive VR environment reported a significant decrease in preoperative anxiety ([Formula: see text]) and postoperative pain ([Formula: see text]) after the VR intervention. These results were also supported by the physiological measures where there was a significant increase in RR Interval (RRI) ([Formula: see text]) and a significant decrease in the low frequency (LF)/high frequency (HF) ratio ([Formula: see text]) and respiration rate (RR) ([Formula: see text]).

Duration of opioid use and association with socioeconomic status, daily dose and formulation: a two-decade population study in Queensland, Australia.

Background There is an association between the duration of prescription opioids use and an increased risk of serious harm, often unintentional. Objective (1) Describe the trends in duration of prescription opioids dispensing and, (2) determine the risk of long-term use (≥4 months) based on patients' socioeconomic status, daily dose in oral daily morphine milligram equivalent, and opioid formulation. Setting Residents of Queensland (2,827,727), Australia from the age 18years and who were dispensed pharmaceutical opioids from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2018. Method Retrospective, longitudinal population-based analysis using data obtained from the Monitoring of Drugs of Dependence system of the Monitored Medicines Unit of Queensland Health. Main outcome measure Contribution of socioeconomic status, and daily dose and opioid formulation (modified-release or immediate-release) to the risk of long-term opioid use. Results There was little difference between the number of patients dispensed opioids for ≥4 months and ≤3 months between 1997 and 2011. Thereafter, the number for those using opioids long-term increased. The highest risk of having opioids dispensed for ≥4 months were for patients in the lowest level of socioeconomic status (adjusted odds ratio 1.36; 95% CI, 1.34, 1.38), compared to people in the highest socioeconomic status areas, followed by the low-socioeconomic status areas, mid-socioeconomic status areas, and high-socioeconomic status areas respectively. The risk of being dispensed prescription opioids for ≥4 months significantly increased as the dose increased: adjusted odds ratio 1.73; 95% CI, 1.71, 1.75, adjusted odds ratio 1.89; 95% CI, 1.87, 1.92, and adjusted odds ratio 3.63; 95% CI, 3.58, 3.69 for the ≥20 to <50 oral daily morphine milligram equivalent, ≥50 to <100 oral daily morphine milligram equivalent and ≥100 oral daily morphine milligram equivalent dose categories, respectively. Conclusion Higher doses and living in a low socioeconomic status areas were associated with increased risk of long-term dispensing of opioid prescriptions.

A predictive-modeling based screening tool for prolonged opioid use after surgical management of low back and lower extremity pain

BACKGROUND CONTEXTOutpatient postoperative pain management in spine patients, specifically involving the use of opioids, demonstrates significant variability. PURPOSEUsing preoperative risk factors and 30-day postoperative opioid prescribing patterns, we developed models for predicting long-term opioid use in patients after elective spine surgery. STUDY DESIGN/SETTINGThis retrospective cohort study utilizes inpatient, outpatient, and pharmaceutical data from MarketScan databases (Truven Health). PATIENT SAMPLEIn all, 19,317 patients who were newly diagnosed with low back or lower extremity pain (LBP or LEP) between 2008 and 2015 and underwent thoracic or lumbar surgery within 1 year after diagnosis were enrolled. Some patients initiated opioids after diagnosis but all patients were opioid-naïve before the diagnosis. OUTCOME MEASURESLong-term opioid use was defined as filling ≥180 days of opioids within one year after surgery. METHODSUsing demographic variables, medical and psychiatric comorbidities, preoperative opioid use, and 30-day postoperative opioid use, we generated seven models on 80% of the dataset and tested the models on the remaining 20%. We used three regression-based models (full logistic regression, stepwise logistic regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator), support vector machine, two tree-based models (random forest, stochastic gradient boosting), and time-varying convolutional neural network. Area under the curve (AUC), Brier index, sensitivity, and calibration curves were used to assess the discrimination and calibration of the models. RESULTSWe identified 903 (4.6%) of patients who met criteria for long-term opioid use. The regression-based models demonstrated the highest AUC, ranging from 0.835 to 0.847, and relatively high sensitivities, predicting between 74.9% and 76.5% of the long-term opioid use patients in the test dataset. The three strongest positive predictors of long-term opioid use were high preoperative opioid use (OR 2.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.27–3.22), number of days with active opioid prescription between postoperative days 15 to 30 (OR 1.10; 95%CI 1.07–1.12), and number of dosage increases between postoperative day 15 to 30 (OR 1.71, 95%CI 1.41–2.08). The strongest negative predictors were number of dosage decreases in the 30-day postoperative period. CONCLUSIONSWe evaluated several predictive models for postoperative long-term opioid use in a large cohort of patients with LBP or LEP who underwent surgery. A regression-based model with high sensitivity and AUC is provided online to screen patients for high risk of long-term opioid use based on preoperative risk factors and opioid prescription patterns in the first 30 days after surgery. It is hoped that this work will improve identification of patients at high risk of prolonged opioid use and enable early intervention and counseling.

Persistent Opioid Use After Hysterectomy in the United States, 2005-2015.

To assess variables associated with opioid prescriptions filled perioperatively after hysterectomy and the risk of prolonged opioid use through 1 year after hysterectomy. In this retrospective cohort study, we used the 2005-2015 IBM MarketScan databases to identify women aged at least 18 years who underwent hysterectomy. For opioid use, we identified filled prescriptions for opioid medications. We excluded women with prevalent opioid use, defined as an opioid prescription filled 180 to 30 days preoperatively or at least two prescriptions filled in the 30 days before surgery. We defined perioperative opioid use as any opioid prescription filled within 30 days before or 7 days after surgery. We used log-binomial regression to identify independent predictors of perioperative opioid prescription fill. To assess the risk of long-term opioid use, we estimated the proportion of women with ongoing monthly opioid prescriptions through 12 months after surgery and the proportion of women with any opioid prescription 3-6 months after surgery, mimicking published estimates. Among 569,634 women who underwent hysterectomy during the study period, 176,537 (30.9%) were excluded owing to prevalent opioid use. We found that 331,322 (84.3%) women filled a perioperative opioid prescription, with median quantity of 30 pills (interquartile range 25-40), and that younger (adjusted risk ratio [adjRR]18-24 0.91) and older (adjRR65-74 0.84; adjRR75+ 0.70) patients were less likely to receive a perioperative prescription compared with women aged 45-54. The proportion of women with continuous monthly fills of opioids through 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery was 1.40%, 0.34%, 0.06%, and 0.02%, respectively. Most women who underwent hysterectomy in the United States from 2005 to 2015 filled a perioperative opioid prescription with a median quantity of 30 pills. The risk of prolonged opioid use through 6 months is quite low, at 0.06% or 1 in 1,547.

Patterns of Opioid and Benzodiazepine Use in Opioid-Naïve Patients with Newly Diagnosed Low Back and Lower Extremity Pain

The morbidity and mortality associated with opioid and benzodiazepine co-prescription is a pressing national concern. Little is known about patterns of opioid and benzodiazepine use in patients with acute low back pain or lower extremity pain. To characterize patterns of opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing among opioid-naïve, newly diagnosed low back pain (LBP) or lower extremity pain (LEP) patients and to investigate the relationship between benzodiazepine prescribing and long-term opioid use. We performed a retrospective analysis of a commercial database containing claims for more than 75 million enrollees in the USA. Participants were adult patients newly diagnosed with LBP or LEP between 2008 and 2015 who did not have a red flag diagnosis, had not received an opioid prescription in the 6months prior to diagnosis, and had 12months of continuous enrollment after diagnosis. Among patients receiving at least one opioid prescription within 12months of diagnosis, we defined discrete patterns of benzodiazepine prescribing-continued use, new use, stopped use, and never use. We tested the association of these prescription patterns with long-term opioid use, defined as six or more fills within 12months. We identified 2,497,653 opioid-naïve patients with newly diagnosed LBP or LEP. Between 2008 and 2015, 31.9% and 11.5% of these patients received opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions, respectively, within 12months of diagnosis. Rates of opioid prescription decreased from 34.8% in 2008 to 27.0% in 2015 (P < 0.001); however, prescribing of benzodiazepines only decreased from 11.6% in 2008 to 10.8% in 2015. Patients with continued or new benzodiazepine use consistently used more opioids than patients who never used or stopped using benzodiazepines during the study period (one-way ANOVA, P < 0.001). For patients with continued and new benzodiazepine use, the odds ratio of long-term opioid use compared with those never prescribed a benzodiazepine was 2.99 (95% CI, 2.89-3.08) and 2.68 (95% CI, 2.62-2.75), respectively. This study used administrative claims analyses, which rely on accuracy and completeness of diagnostic, procedural, and prescription codes. Overall opioid prescribing for low back pain or lower extremity pain decreased substantially during the study period, indicating a shift in management within the medical community. Rates of benzodiazepine prescribing, however, remained at approximately 11%. Concurrent prescriptions of benzodiazepines and opioids after LBP or LEP diagnosis were associated with increased risk of long-term opioid use.

National Variation in Opioid Prescription Fills and Long-Term Use in Opioid Naïve Patients after Urological Surgery.

Prescription opioid use is increasing, leading to increased addiction and mortality. Postoperative care is often the first exposure to opioids of a patient but little data exist on national prescription patterns in urology. We examined post-discharge opioid fills after urological procedures and the association with long-term use. We identified patients in a private national insurance database who underwent 1 of 15 urological procedures between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2014. Patients with an opioid fill in the preceding 6 months were excluded from study. Claims for opioids from 30 days before the operation until 7 days after discharge characterized an initial prescription. Factors associated with persistent opioid use (an opioid claim 91 to 180 days after the operation) and chronic opioid use (10 or more refills of a 120-day or greater supply in the year after the operation) were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Overall 96,580 patients were included in study, of whom 49,391 (51%) filled an initial opioid prescription. Variation in the initial prescribed amount existed within procedures. Persistent use occurred in 6.2% of patients while chronic use occurred in 0.8%. Increased prescription in patients treated with transurethral prostate resection, vasectomy, female sling surgery, cystoscopy and stent insertion were associated with an increased risk of persistent as well as chronic use. National variation in opioid prescribing practice exists after urological operations. Patients who fill larger amounts of opioids after certain major and minor urological procedures are at increased risk for long-term opioid use. This provides evidence for procedure specific prescribing guidelines to minimize risk and promote standardization.

Opioid Consumption Patterns and the Risk of Prolonged Opioid Use Among Opioid-Naïve Patients Following Ankle Fracture Surgery

Category:AnkleIntroduction/Purpose:Over the past two decades, the number of opioids dispensed in the United States has nearly tripled. Previous literature has demonstrated an association between acute opioid exposure and the risk of long-term opioid use.Statewide Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) have been implemented to deter overprescribing and help monitor information pertaining to suspected abuse. The purpose of this study was to assess the immediate postoperative opioid consumption patterns as well as the incidence of new prolonged opioid use among opioid naïve patients following ankle fracture surgery.Methods:This was a retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Patients were included if they underwent outpatient open reduction and internal fixation of an ankle or tibial plafond fracture between October 2016 and September 2017. Patients were excluded if they received any narcotic prescriptions prior to the date of the initial injury. Patient demographics, medical history, fracture pattern, and opioid prescription and consumption details were collected. The morphine equivalent dose was calculated for each prescription and then converted to the equivalent of a 5-mg oxycodone “pill”. The New Jersey PDMP was used to determine all prescriptions of controlled substances filled up to 1 year postoperatively. Prolonged use was defined as filling a postoperative prescription for a controlled substance 90 days after the index procedure. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors associated with immediate postoperative opioid consumption and repeated to identify factors associated with prolonged use.Results:One-hundred seventy-one patients were included in this study. At the first postoperative visit, patients consumed a median of 24 pills, whereas the median number prescribed was 40. This resulted in an initial utilization rate of 60% and 2,736 pills left unused. Additionally, we found that 18.7% (n=32) of patients required a narcotic prescription after 90 days from the index procedure. There was no statistically significant difference found between specific fracture type (isolated distal fibula, bimalleolar, trimalleolar) and prolonged opioid consumption, however tibial plafond fractures could not be included due to insufficient sample size (n=5). Patients with a self-reported history of depression (p=.094) or diabetes (p=.097) demonstrated marginal correlation with prolonged narcotic use.Conclusion:Our study demonstrated that patients who underwent outpatient surgical fixation of an ankle or tibial plafond fracture were initially overprescribed narcotics by nearly 67%, leaving a significant quantity of pills unused for potential abuse or diversion. 18.7% of originally opioid naïve patients required continued analgesia 90 days after the index procedure, however large variations in consumption rates make it difficult for physicians to predict prolonged narcotic use.

An Opioid Prescription for Men Undergoing Minor Urologic Surgery Is Associated with an Increased Risk of New Persistent Opioid Use

Background: The opioid abuse epidemic has highlighted the risks associated with these medications. Objective: To determine whether filling a postoperative opioid prescription after low acuity urologic surgery is associated with new persistent opioid use. Design, setting, and participants: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using linked administrative data from Ontario, Canada. Participants were adults who underwent their first vasectomy, transurethral prostatectomy, urethrotomy, circumcision, spermatocelectomy, or hydrocelectomy between 2013 and 2016. We excluded men with prior opioid use, confounding concurrent procedures, prolonged hospitalization, or cancer. Intervention: Whether the patient filled a prescription for an opioid within 5 d of their surgery. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: The primary outcome was evidence of at least two opioid prescriptions filled 9–15 mo after urologic surgery. The secondary outcome was admission for opioid overdose. Primary analysis was adjusted logistic regression analysis. Results and limitationsWe identified 91 083 men, most of whom underwent vasectomy (78%). A total of 32 174 (35%) men filled a prescription for an opioid after their procedure. The most common opioid prescribed was codeine (70%), and urologists were the primary prescribers (81%). Men who filled a postprocedure opioid prescription did not differ, for most of the 57 medical comorbidities or markers of healthcare utilization that we measured, from those who did not fill an opioid prescription. There was long-term opioid use in 1447 (1.6%); men who had filled a postoperative opioid prescription had a significantly higher risk of long-term opioid use (odds ratio [OR] 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3–1.6) and opioid overdose (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.5–5.9). A limitation is that we could not determine the indication for long-term opioid prescriptions. Conclusions: Prescription of opioids after low acuity urology procedures is significantly associated with increased opioid use at 1yr after surgery; efforts should be made to reduce postoperative opioids, especially for urologic procedures that do not typically require opioids. Patient summary: Filling an opioid prescription after minor urologic surgeries is associated with an increased risk of persistent long-term use of opioid medications and a higher risk of serious long-term complications such as hospital visits for an opioid overdose.’

Incidence of Long-term Opioid Use Among Opioid-Naive Patients With Hidradenitis Suppurativa in the United States

Risk of long-term opioid use among patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), who experience pain that substantially impairs quality of life, is unknown to date. To compare overall and subgroup incidence of long-term opioid use in a population of opioid-naive patients with HS and control patients. This retrospective cohort study was based on a demographically heterogeneous population-based sample of more than 56 million unique patients from January 1, 2008, through December 10, 2018. Patients with HS (n = 22 277) and controls (n = 828 832) were identified using electronic health records data. Data were analyzed from December 13, 2018, through January 28, 2019. The primary outcome was incident long-term opioid use. Among the 22 277 patients with HS, mean (SD) age was 40.8 (14.6) years, 16 912 (75.9%) were women, and 13 190 (59.2%) were white. Crude 1-year incidence of long-term opioid use among opioid-naive patients with HS was 0.33% (74 of 22 277), compared with 0.14% (1168 of 828 832) among controls (P < .001). In adjusted analysis, patients with HS had 1.53 (95% CI, 1.20-1.95; P < .001) times the odds of new long-term opioid use compared with controls. Among patients with HS, advancing age (odds ratio [OR], 1.02 per 1-year increase; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03; P = .05), ever smoking (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 2.06-6.41; P < .001), history of depression (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.21-3.19; P = .006), and baseline Charlson comorbidity index score (OR, 1.15 per 1-point increase; 95% CI, 1.03-1.29; P = .01) were associated with higher odds of long-term opioid use. Among patients with HS and long-term opioid use, 4 of 74 (5.4%) were diagnosed with opioid use disorder during the study period. The most frequent schedule II opioid prescriptions included oxycodone hydrochloride (55 of 74 patients [74.3%]), hydrocodone bitartrate (44 [59.5%]), hydromorphone hydrochloride (16 [21.6%]), morphine sulfate (13 [17.6%]), and fentanyl citrate (6 [8.1%]). Tramadol hydrochloride (32 [43.2%]) represented the most frequent non-schedule II prescription. Disciplines prescribing the most opioids to patients with HS included primary care (398 [72.8%]), anesthesiology/pain management (48 [8.8%]), gastroenterology (25 [4.6%]), surgery (23 [4.2%]), and emergency medicine (10 [1.8%]). In this study, patients with HS were at higher risk for long-term opioid use. These results suggest that periodic assessment of pain and screening for long-term opioid use may be warranted, particularly among patients who are older, who smoke tobacco, or who have depression and other medical comorbidities.

Perioperative Pain Management and Avoidance of Long-term Opioid Use.

The opioid epidemic continues to be a problem in the United States and prescription opioid overdose fatalities continue to rise. Chronic opioid use threatens military readiness and puts service members at risk for medical separation from military service. Orthopedic surgeons commonly prescribe opioid medications for postsurgical patients. Long-term opioid use can be the result of acute, postoperative opioid intake. Overprescribing may increase the risk of long-term opioid use, medication diversion and adverse outcomes. Preoperative administration of opioids dramatically increases the risk of continued use up to 1 year after surgery. Strategies to minimize opioid use include opioid-specific preoperative counseling, multimodal analgesia with opioid-sparing oral and intravenous medications, regional anesthesia, minimizing tourniquet use, and preoperative behavioral health evaluation.

LONG TERM opioid use in RURAL NON-metastatic colon cancer patients.

e15174 Background: Cancer related pain and subsequent long-term opioid (LTO) use worsens the opioid epidemic and facilitates abuse. Non-metastatic colon cancer (CC) is a potentially curable malignancy and prescription opioid (PO) may increase risks of adverse events when CC has been eradicated. Methods: A retrospective study evaluated stage I-III CC patients between January 2013 and January 2018 across rural cancer clinics in New Mexico who received PO during their cancer diagnosis and treatment. It excluded patients with stage IV CC, concurrent malignancies and non-cancer pain. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square and logistic regression were performed to identify correlation and predictors of LTO use. Results: Among 197 patients identified, opioids were prescribed in 24% (48/197); 22 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 65.1±9.8 years; 68% male; Stage I (4.5%), II (36.3%), III (59.1%). Adjuvant chemotherapy was given in 91% (20/22). Oxaliplatin regimen was used in 63.6% (14/22). One year after therapy, 27.3% (6/22) still had neuropathy. The rate of opioid use was 72.7% (16/22) at 3 months, 54.5% (12/22) at 6 months and 41% (9/22) at 12 months; 56.2% (9/16) of opioid users at 3 months were also using opioids at 12 months from initial prescription (X2 5.71 p = 0.046). Also, 75% (9/12) of opioid users at 6 months, continued using opioids at 12 months (X2 12.7 p = 0.0001). Patients with smoking history, unemployed and PO from a surgeon, were more likely to be LTO users at 12 months; however, it was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Non-metastatic CC patients who continue to use opioids at 3 months are at a significantly higher risk of LTO use at one year. Biological and social factors in rural communities can be important determinants of this use pattern. The challenges surrounding opioid use and the need for safe and effective alternative analgesics require urgent attention and regulatory discourse.

Elective Shoulder Surgery in the Opioid Naïve: Rates of and Risk Factors for Long-term Postoperative Opioid Use

Background: Little is known regarding the rates and risk factors for long-term postoperative opioid use among opioid-naïve patients undergoing elective shoulder surgery. Purpose: To identify (1) the proportion of opioid-naïve patients undergoing elective shoulder surgery, (2) the rates of postoperative opioid use among these patients, and (3) the risk factors associated with long-term postoperative opioid use. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A retrospective review of a private administrative claims database was performed to identify those individuals who underwent elective shoulder surgery between 2007 and 2015. “Opioid-naïve” patients were identified as those patients who had not filled an opioid prescription in the 180 days before the index surgery. Within this subgroup, we tracked postoperative opioid prescription refill rates and used a logistic regression to identify patient variables that were predictive for long-term opioid use, which we defined as continued opioid refills beyond 180 days after surgery. Results were reported as odds ratios (ORs). Results: Over the study period, 79,287 patients were identified who underwent elective shoulder surgery, of whom 79.5% were opioid naïve. Among opioid-naïve patients, the rate of postoperative opioid use declined over time, and 14.6% of patients were still using opioids beyond 180 days. The greatest proportion of opioid-naïve patients still filling opioid prescriptions beyond 180 days postoperatively was seen after open rotator cuff repair (20.9%), whereas arthroscopic labral repair had the lowest proportion (9.8%). Overall, a history of alcohol abuse (OR 1.56), a history of depression (OR 1.46), a history of anxiety (OR, 1.31), female sex (OR, 1.11), and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR 1.02) had the most significant influence on the risk for long-term opioid use among opioid naïve patients. Conclusions: Most patients were opioid naïve before elective shoulder surgery; however, among opioid-naïve patients, 1 in 7 patients were still using opioids beyond 180 days after surgery. Among all variables, a history of mental illness most significantly increased the risk of long-term opioid use after elective shoulder surgery.

Initial Opioid Prescriptions among U.S. Commercially Insured Patients, 2012–2017

BackgroundThe United States is undergoing a crippling opioid epidemic, spurred in part by overuse of prescription opioids by adults 25 to 64 years of age. Of concern are long-duration and high-dose initial prescriptions, which place the patients and their friends and relatives at heightened risk for long-term opioid use, misuse, overdose, and death.MethodsWe estimated the incidence of initial opioid prescriptions in each month between July 2012 and December 2017 using administrative-claims data from across the United States (accessed through Blue Cross–Blue Shield [BCBS] Axis); monthly incidence was estimated as the percentage of enrollees who received an initial opioid prescription among those who had not used opioids (i.e., no opioid prescription or a diagnosis of opioid use disorder in the 6 months before a given month). We then estimated the percentage of enrollees initiating opioid therapy who received a long-duration or high-dose initial opioid prescription in each month during this period. We also calculated the number of providers who initiated opioid therapy in any patient who had not used opioids in each month and examined monthly trends in the duration and dose of initial opioid prescriptions in prescriber and patient subgroups. Our study sample included 63,817,512 enrollees who had not used opioids (mean, 15,897,673 per month).ResultsThe monthly incidence of initial opioid prescriptions among enrollees who had not used opioids declined by 54%, from 1.63% in July 2012 to 0.75% in December 2017. This decline was accompanied by a decreasing number of providers (from 114,043 in July 2012 to 80,462 in December 2017) who initiated opioid therapy in any patient who had not used opioids. Nonetheless, among the shrinking subgroup of physicians who initiated opioid therapy in such patients, high-risk prescribing (i.e., prescriptions for more than a 3-day supply or for a dose of 50 morphine milligram equivalents per day or higher) persisted at a monthly rate of 115,378 prescriptions per 15,897,673 enrollees who had not used opioids.ConclusionsAs the opioid crisis progressed between July 2012 and December 2017, many providers stopped initiating opioid therapy. Although the number of initial opioid prescriptions declined, a subgroup of providers continued to write high-risk initial opioid prescriptions. (Funded by the National Institute on Aging and a gift from Owen and Linda Robinson.)

Risk of Prolonged Opioid Use Among Opioid-Naïve Patients After Common Shoulder Arthroscopy Procedures

Background: Opioid-related morbidity and mortality are major public health concerns, and the risk of long-term opioid use after shoulder arthroscopy is not well defined. Hypothesis: Substance abuse disorders, pain disorders, and psychiatric conditions increase the risk for prolonged opioid use. Study Design: Case-control study, Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Insurance claims data from the Truven Health MarketScan Research Databases was used to identify patients who underwent shoulder arthroscopy between January 1, 2010, and March 31, 2015. Opioid-naïve patients were included. New prolonged opioid use was defined as continued opioid use between 91 and 180 days after the index procedure. The authors used a multivariable logistic regression model to identify patient factors associated with the risk of new prolonged opioid use. Results: In this cohort of 104,154 opioid-naïve adult patients, 8686 (8.3%) developed new prolonged opioid use as defined in this study. A total of 31,768 (30.5%) filled an opioid prescription in the 30 days before surgery. Patients who had limited debridement had the highest prolonged use rate (9.0%), followed by rotator cuff repair (8.5%), anterior labrum lesion repair (8.5%), and extensive debridement (8.2%). Patient characteristics associated with the highest odds ratios (ORs) of prolonged opioid use included those who had a total opioid dose during the perioperative period that was ≥743 oral morphine equivalents (ie, at least 149 tablets of 5-mg hydrocodone) (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.9-2.1), followed by patients with a suicide and self-harm disorder (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.4), a history of alcohol dependence or abuse (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3-1.9), a mood disorder (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4), an opioid prescription filled in the 30 days before surgery (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4), female sex (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.3), an anxiety disorder (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.3), and a history of a pain diagnosis (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.2). Conclusion: The risk of prolonged opioid use after arthroscopic shoulder procedures is 8.3%, and it is higher among women and among those with greater opioid use in the early postoperative period, mental health conditions, substance dependence and abuse, and preexisting pain disorders. Patients at high risk warrant close surveillance after surgery for early recognition and management.

An Assessment of Long-Term Opioid Use Following Tibial Plateau Fracture Repair

Objectives: Is there a difference in percentage of opioid use at 3 and 6 months among different races/ethnicities following tibial plateau fracture repair after controlling for potential confounders? Methods: Retrospective secondary data analysis of 18- to 65-year-old patients with operative tibial plateau fractures between 2006 and 2015 at a level-I trauma center. Exclusion criteria included preinjury opioid use or history of opioid dependence, American Society of Anesthesiologists class ≥3, renal or lower extremity neurological impairment, and/or rheumatoid arthritis. Three hundred fifteen operative tibial plateau fractures were identified and, following application of our exclusion criteria, final sample size was 211. Intervention included single-shot peripheral nerve block (PNB) vs. no PNB. Main outcome measurements were opioid use at 3 or 6 months compared among all race/ethnicities. Results: Black patients were less likely to be on prescription opioids than whites at both 3 months (p = 0.015, odds ratio [OR] = 0.396 [0.188 to 0.835]) and 6 months (p = 0.027, OR = 0.239 [0.067 to 0.852]). Hispanic patients did not differ statistically from white patients in having an opioid prescription at 3 or 6 months. Smokers were independently more likely to be on prescription opioids than nonsmokers at 6 months (p = 0.013, OR = 2.874 [1.245 to 6.635]). Conclusions: Disparities exist with regard to opioid use among white and black patients following lower extremity surgery, regardless of PNB status. White patients are at risk for long-term opioid use following tibial plateau fracture repair and black patients may not be receiving adequate pain control postoperatively. Smoking was found to be associated with long-term opioid use.

The prescription opioid crisis: role of the anaesthesiologist in reducing opioid use and misuse

Reports of strategies to prevent and treat the opioid epidemic are growing. Significant attention has been paid to the benefits of opioid addiction research, clinical prescribing, and public policy initiatives in curbing the epidemic. However, the role of the anaesthesiologist in minimising opioid use and misuse remains underexplored. For many patients with an opioid use disorder, the perioperative period represents the source of initial exposure. As perioperative physicians, anaesthesiologists are in the unique position to manage pain effectively while simultaneously decreasing opioid consumption. Multiple opportunities exist for anaesthesiologists to minimise opioid exposure and prevent subsequent persistent opioid use. We present a global strategy for decreasing perioperative opioid use and misuse among surgical patients. A historical perspective of the opioid epidemic is presented, together with an analysis of opioid supply and demand forces. We then present specific temporal strategies for opioid use reduction in the perioperative period. We emphasise the importance of preoperative identification of patients at risk for long-term opioid use and misuse, review the evidence supporting the opioid sparing capacity of individual multimodal analgesic agents, and discuss the benefits of regional anaesthesia for minimising opioid consumption. We describe postoperative and post-discharge tools, including effective multimodal analgesia and the role of a transitional pain service. Finally, we offer general institutional strategies that can be led by anaesthesiologists, identify gaps in knowledge, and offer directions for future research.

August 2018 Letter to the Editor-in-Chief.

Letter to the Editor-in-Chief of JOSPT as follows: "Promoting Roles and Services Within Physical Therapy Not Supported by Evidence" with Authors' Response J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(8):669-671. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.0204.

Associations Between Early Care Decisions and the Risk for Long-term Opioid Use for Patients With Low Back Pain With a New Physician Consultation and Initiation of Opioid Therapy.

The aim of this study was to identify associations between early care decisions and long-term opioid (LTO) use in opioid-naïve patients with a new physician consultation for low back pain (LBP) at which an opioid was prescribed. A retrospective study of claims data was used to identify opioid-naïve LBP patients who were prescribed opioids at the index physician visit. Early care variables captured included additional nonopioid medications prescribed within 14 days and provider visits or diagnostic imaging within 30 days of the index visit. A multivariate logistic model was used to identify early care variables associated with the outcome of (LTO) use in the year following the index visit controlling for patient factors. A total of 707 patients were included in this study. The mean age was 38.1 (±11.6), and 67.8% were female individuals and 76.9% were Medicaid beneficiaries. Early care medications were muscle relaxants (32.2%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (29.3%), oral steroids (11.7%), and benzodiazepines (8.3%). The most common early care provider visits were with primary care (31.0%) and physical therapy (13.0%). A total of 172 patients (24.3%) progressed to LTO use. Controlling for patient factors, early care variables increasing risk for LTO use were an early benzodiazepine prescription and primary care visit. An early physical therapy visit was associated with reduced risk for LTO use. Early care decisions were predictive of LTO use following a new LBP consultation at which opioids were prescribed. Our results support recommendations to avoid concurrent benzodiazepine prescribing and to consider other evidence-based pain treatments such as physical therapy early, particularly for patients at high risk for LTO use or misuse.

2170 Risk factors for prescription opioid misuse after traumatic injury in adolescents

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The objective of this study is to determine predictors and motives for sustained opioid use, prescription misuse, and nonmedical opioid use in the adolescent trauma population. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This is a prospective cohort study that will follow patients for 1 year and administer surveys to patients on prescription opioid usage; substance use; utilization of pain management and mental health services; mental and physical health conditions; and behavioral and social risk factors. Patient eligibility criteria include: (1) patient is 12–18 years of age; (2) admitted for trauma; (3) english speaking; (4) resides within Indianapolis, IN metropolitan area; and (5) consent can be obtained from a parent or guardian. Patients with severe brain injuries or other injuries that prevent survey participation will be excluded. The patient sample will comprise of 50 traumatically injured adolescents admitted for trauma who will be followed for 12 months after discharge. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We expect that the results of this study will identify multiple risk factors for sustained opioid use that can be used to create targeted interventions to reduce opioid misuse in the adolescent trauma population. Clinical predictors such as opioid type, dosage, and duration that can be modified to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use will be identified. We expect to elucidate clinical, behavioral, and social risk factors that increase the likelihood adolescents will misuse their medication and initiate nonmedical opioid use. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Trauma is a surgical specialty that often has limited collaboration with behavioral health providers. Collaborative care models for trauma patients to adequately address the psychological impact of a traumatic injury have become more common in recent years. These models have primarily been concerned with the prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder. We would like to apply the findings of our research to better understand what motivates adolescents to misuse pain medications as well as how clinical, individual, behavioral, and social factors affect medication usage. This may help identify patients at greater risk of developing a SUD by asking questions not commonly addressed in the hospital setting. For example, similar to how trauma centers have mandated brief interventions on alcohol use be performed for center verification, screening patients’ on their social environment may identify patients at greater risk for SUD than assumed. The long-term goal would be to prevent opioid use disorders in injured adolescents by providing better post-acute care support, possibly by developing and implementing a collaborative care model that addresses opioid use. Additionally, we believe our findings could be applied in the acute care setting as well to help inform opioid prescribing and pain management methods in the acute phase of an injury. Genetic testing to determine which opioid to prescribe pediatric surgical patients is starting to be done at some pediatric hospitals. Certain genes determine which specific opioid is most effective in controlling a patient’s pain and, further, using the optimal opioid medication can also reduce overdose. Our findings may help refine prescribing patterns that could increase or decrease the likelihood of developing SUD in patients with certain genetic, clinical, behavioral, and social characteristics.

Predictors of Weeks to Opioid Cessation after Lumbar Fusion: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Although the use of prescription opioid analgesics to treat acute, postoperative pain is a well-established practice, the role of opioids in the management of persistent, postoperative pain remains ill-defined. Nevertheless, high rates of long-term opioid use following lumbar fusion have been reported. Aim: The goal of this prospective, longitudinal study was to identify predictors of weeks to opioid cessation in a cohort of patients undergoing elective lumbar fusion. Methods: Prior to surgery, participants self-reported demographic and clinical data and completed a validated measure of pain catastrophizing. Three months following surgery, participants self-reported prescription opioid use. Results: Forty-four percent (n = 22) of participants reported opioid use 12 weeks following lumbar fusion. Bivariate analysis identified a strong correlation between weeks to opioid cessation and preoperative opioid use, r = .46, and a moderate correlation between weeks to opioid cessation and disability, r = .29. The multiple regression model predicting weeks to opioid cessation from age, sex, employment status, educational level, preoperative pain intensity, preoperative opioid use, disability status, and pain catastrophizing was significant, F(8, 38) = 2.254, p = .044, and accounted for 18% of the variance. Among preoperative patient characteristics, only preoperative opioid use significantly predicted weeks to opioid cessation, β = .466; p = .005. Conclusion: Thus, nurses and nurse practitioners may be able to identify patients at risk for long-term opioid use following lumbar fusion by screening patients for preoperative opioid use.