Uncovering Factors Predicting Opioid Overdose Post-Chronic Pain Prescription

Study aids in explaining overdose risks to patients during opioid initiation for chronic pain, supporting evidence-based shared decision-making

A comprehensive study featured in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) has pinpointed ten indicators of opioid overdoses following prescriptions for chronic pain ().

This valuable information enables healthcare professionals to engage in collaborative decision-making with patients regarding opioid prescriptions.

Challenges in Validating Screening Tools Amid the Opioid Crisis

“The opioid crisis has generated interest in identifying patients at higher risk of addiction or overdose and has led to the development of several screening tools; however, these instruments have either not been validated or shown poor psychometric properties,” writes Dr. Li Wang, a researcher and methodologist at the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, and Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, with coauthors.

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‘The study results indicate that paying heed to specific patient and prescription attributes can potentially lower the risk of opioid overdose in individuals coping with chronic pain. #pain #opioids #drugoverdose’

Researchers looked at 28 studies that included almost 24 million patients in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom who had been prescribed opioids for non-cancer and cancer-related chronic pain.

The risk of fatal and nonfatal opioid overdose after prescription increased two- to six-fold with high-dose opioids, fentanyl prescription, multiple opioid prescribers or pharmacies, history of overdose, current substance use disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, other mental illness or pancreatitis.

Reference:

Predictors of fatal and nonfatal overdose after prescription of opioids for chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies - (https://www.cmaj.ca/content/195/41/E1399)

Source-Eurekalert

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