Predicting at-risk opioid use three months after ed visit for trauma: Results from the AURORA study

This study examined the relationship between receiving opioids in the emergency department (ED) after a traumatic injury and the likelihood of at-risk opioid use within three months. At-risk opioid use was defined as either using opioids without a prescription or continuing to use prescription opioids three months after the ED visit. The study found that patients who received opioids in the ED, either through administration or prescription, had a higher chance of engaging in at-risk opioid use within three months compared to those who did not receive opioids in the ED. This suggests a potential link between initial opioid exposure in the ED and subsequent problematic opioid use. These findings highlight the need for careful consideration when prescribing or administering opioids in the ED for trauma patients. Further research is needed to understand the long-term effects of ED opioid exposure and to develop strategies for reducing the risk of at-risk opioid use.

• 1
  ED opioid exposure, whether through prescription or administration, is associated with a higher likelihood of at-risk opioid use within three months after a traumatic event.
• 2
  Compared to no ED opioid exposure, adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for at-risk opioid use after ED opioid exposure were: ED prescription only: 4.9 (95% CI 1.4, 17.4); ED administration for analgesia only: 2.0 (CI 1.0, 3.8); both: 2.8 (CI 1.2, 6.5).
• 3
  Any opioid exposure (prescription at discharge or in-ED administration, or both) during the ED visit was associated with a more than doubling of the odds of at-risk opioid use by the 3-month follow-up period (aOR 2.2, CI 1.3, 3.75).