Abstract
Background Inappropriate use of prescription opioids is a growing public-health issue. We sought to estimate the proportion of traumatic injury patients using legal prescription opioids up to 1-year after hospitalization. Methods We used 2006–2014 claims data from TRICARE insurance to identify adults hospitalized secondary to trauma between 2007 and 2013. Prescription opioid use was evaluated for one-year post-discharge. Risk-adjusted Cox Proportional-hazards models were used to evaluate predictors of opioid discontinuation. Results Only 1% of patients sustained legal prescription opioid use at 1-year following trauma. Lower socioeconomic status (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87–0.98) and higher injury severity (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.84–0.91) were associated with sustained use. Younger patients (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.04–1.21) and Black patients (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04–1.15) were found to have a higher likelihood of opioid discontinuation. Conclusions In this population, adult patients who sustained trauma were not at high risk of sustained legal prescription opioid use.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 792-797 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | American Journal of Surgery |
Volume | 214 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Opioid dependence
- Sustained opioid use
- Traumatic injury