Naloxone Administration in US Emergency Departments, 2000-2011

Characteristics of Patients Presenting at an Emergency Department for a Heroin Overdose vs Detoxification

Purpose

This study compares substance use, treatment histories, and sociodemographic characteristics of patients presenting to an emergency department (ED) following a heroin overdose or seeking detoxification services for heroin and examines risk factors for a subsequent return to the ED for a substance-related problem.

Methods

A convenience sample of patients presenting for an overdose or detoxification at an urban teaching ED was recruited for this study. During their ED visit, patients were interviewed regarding demographics, substance use experiences, and treatment history. Subsequently, a review of patient records for past and subsequent ED use was performed.

Results

Patients requesting detox and those with an overdose were similar in terms of prior treatment. Both groups had similar extensive polysubstance histories. As a group, however, patients presenting for detox were more likely to report use of each of three substances (benzodiazepines, opioid pain medications, and heroin) more than three times per week, compared to those presenting for overdose. Detox patients had higher scores on the 3-item Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-C and the drug problems scale compared to overdose patients. Overall, 28% of the patients returned to the ED within 90 days for a drug-related issue, including 8% that returned for an overdose. Factors predictive of a return ED visit included ED visits for substance use in the previous year and recent frequent heroin use.

Conclusion

Patients requesting detox were similar in most domains to those presenting following an overdose. Notably, overdose patients were less likely to use heroin more than three times per week compared to detox patients. Both groups were equally likely to return for an SUD reason within 3-months, however for both groups, previous ED visits and recent frequent heroin use predicted a return visit.

Non-prescribing clinicians' treatment orientations and attitudes toward treatments for opioid use disorder: Rural differences

INTRODUCTION

The United States has experienced substantial increases in opioid use for more than two decades. This growth has impacted rural areas where overdoses have risen drastically during this time period and more often involve prescription opioids than in urban areas. Medications for opioid use disorders (MOUDs) are highly underutilized in rural settings due to lack of access, inadequate prescribing, and stigma.

METHODS

The study collected data using a cross-sectional online survey of nonprescribing clinicians (NPCs) involved in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs) in the United States. The study used multiple recruitment methods to obtain a purposive sample of NPCs from a variety of geographical contexts across the nation. The survey assessed demographic and practice characteristics including rurality of practice location, exposure and training related to MOUDs, treatment orientation, treatment preferences for opioid use disorder (OUD), and attitudes toward MOUDs. The study compared treatment preferences for OUD and attitudes toward MOUDs based on rurality of practice location. We tested a mediation model to determine whether the relationship between rurality of practice setting and attitudes toward MOUDs is mediated by treatment orientation.

RESULTS

Most of the 636 NPCs surveyed favored a combination of MOUDs and psychosocial treatment. Compared to clinicians practicing in suburban or urban areas, self-identified rural clinicians were more likely to favor MOUDs alone as most effective and less likely to endorse a combination of MOUDs and psychosocial treatment. Although most NPCs were supportive of MOUDs overall, many endorsed misconceptions related to MOUDs. Rural clinicians were less likely to perceive MOUDs as effective or acceptable compared to those in urban settings. Results of a mediation analysis indicated that practicing in a rural location compared to in an urban location directly and indirectly influenced attitudes toward MOUDs through an effect on treatment orientation.

CONCLUSIONS

NPCs play important roles in the implementation of MOUDs, and while efforts to increase their knowledge of and exposure to MOUDs have contributed broadly to more favorable attitudes toward MOUDs among NPCs, this study's findings indicate that additional efforts are still needed, particularly among NPCs who work in rural settings. Findings also indicate that, among rural clinicians, increasing knowledge of and exposure to harm reduction principles may be a necessary prerequisite to engaging them in the implementation of specific harm reduction strategies such as MOUDs.

Opioid overdose prevention education in Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Distribution of naloxone and training on its proper use are evidence-based strategies for preventing opioid overdose deaths. In-person naloxone training was conducted in major metropolitan areas and urban centers across Texas as part of a state-wide targeted opioid response program. The training program transitioned to a live, virtual format during the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration. This manuscript describes the impact of this transition through analyses of the characteristics of communities reached using the new virtual training format.

CASE PRESENTATION

Training participant addresses were compared to county rates of opioid overdose deaths and broadband internet access, and census block comparison to health services shortages, rural designation, and race/ethnicity community characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

The virtual training format reached more learners than the in-person events. Training reached nearly half of the counties in Texas, including all with recent opioid overdose deaths. Most participants lived in communities with a shortage of health service providers, and training reached rural areas, those with limited broadband internet availability, and majority Hispanic communities. In the context of restrictions on in-person gathering, the training program successfully shifted to a live, online format. This transition increased participation above rates observed pre-pandemic and reached communities with the need for equipping those most likely to witness an opioid overdose with the proper use of naloxone.

Racial/ethnic disparities in opioid overdose prevention: comparison of the naloxone care cascade in White, Latinx, and Black people who use opioids in New York City

BACKGROUND

Drug overdose mortality is rising precipitously among Black people who use drugs. In NYC, the overdose mortality rate is now highest in Black (38.2 per 100,000) followed by the Latinx (33.6 per 100,000) and white (32.7 per 100,000) residents. Improved understanding of access to harm reduction including naloxone across racial/ethnic groups is warranted.

METHODS

Using data from an ongoing study of people who use illicit opioids in NYC (N = 575), we quantified racial/ethnic differences in the naloxone care cascade.

RESULTS

We observed gaps across the cascade overall in the cohort, including in naloxone training (66%), current possession (53%) daily access during using and non-using days (21%), 100% access during opioid use (20%), and complete protection (having naloxone and someone who could administer it present during 100% of opioid use events; 12%). Naloxone coverage was greater in white (training: 79%, possession: 62%, daily access: 33%, access during use: 27%, and complete protection: 13%, respectively) and Latinx (training: 67%, possession: 54%, daily access: 22%, access during use: 24%, and complete protection: 16%, respectively) versus Black (training: 59%, possession: 48%, daily access:13%, access during use: 12%, and complete protection: 8%, respectively) participants. Black participants, versus white participants, had disproportionately low odds of naloxone training (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.22-0.72). Among participants aged 51 years or older, Black race (versus white, the referent) was strongly associated with lower levels of being trained in naloxone use (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.07-0.63) and having 100% naloxone access during use (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.13-0.91). Compared to white women, Black women had 0.27 times the odds of being trained in naloxone use (95% CI 0.10-0.72).

CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient protection by naloxone during opioid use, with disproportionately low access among Black people who use drugs, and a heightened disparity among older Black people and Black women.

Geographic variations in opioid overdose patterns in Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic

The convergence of the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic has created new health challenges throughout the United States. Since the onset of the pandemic, media attention and scholarly research have drawn attention to the intersections of addiction and COVID-19. However, there remain few empirical studies that examine the direct impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for opioid overdose patterns. Even fewer have integrated quantitative and qualitative methods to detail the place-specific dynamics shaping opioid overdose and addiction treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article measures and maps change in the age-adjusted rate of opioid-related overdose incidents at the county level from 2018 to 2020. These analyses are combined with interviews conducted since December 2020 with public health providers in the state of Pennsylvania to identify the key factors influencing opioid misuse and transformations in addiction treatment practices.

Preventing nausea and vomiting after gynecological laparoscopic surgery by patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with a naloxone admixture: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Opioid-induced nausea and vomiting are common side effects of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA). This study aimed to explore the inhibitory effect of a naloxone admixture on the incidence of sufentanil-induced postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).

METHODS

A total of 132 Uyghur American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II patients scheduled to undergo elective gynecological laparoscopic surgery were recruited; among these, 120 patients were enrolled and randomly allocated into 4 groups: patients receiving PCIA but no naloxone were included in the control group (group A); patients receiving PCIA with a low-dose naloxone admixture at 0.2 μg·kg-1·h-1 were included in group B; patients receiving PCIA with naloxone admixture at 0.4 μg·kg-1·h-1 were included in group C; patients receiving PCIA with naloxone admixture at 0.6 μg·kg-1·h-1 were included in group D. All patients were administered sufentanil at 0.04 kg-1·h-1, butorphanol at 2 kg-1·h-1, and dexmedetomidine at 0.08 kg-1·h-1 using a PCIA device within 2 days of surgery. The occurrence of nausea and vomiting, visual analogue scores for pain intensity, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, pruritus, lethargy, respiratory depression, etc, was recorded at 2, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference in the PONV scores between the groups at 8, 12, and 24 hours after surgery (P < 0.01). At 8 and 12 hours, the score of group C/D was significantly lower than that of group A/B (P < 0.01). At 24 hours after surgery, the PONV score of group B/C/D was significantly lower than that of group A (P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed in the general data and visual analogue scores for postoperative pain between the 4 groups.

CONCLUSION

Naloxone admixture administered at 0.4 to 0.6 μg·kg-1·h-1 can exert an effective inhibitory effect on the incidence and intensity of PONV in gynecological laparoscopic surgery.

Implementation Challenges and Recommendations for Employing Peer Support Workers in Emergency Departments to Support Patients Presenting after an Opioid-Related Overdose

The placement of a peer support workers (PSWs) in emergency departments (ED) is a promising practice for supporting persons with opioid use disorder who are presenting with an overdose or related medical condition. However, this practice is underutilized. The objective of this study was to identify the challenges of employing PSWs in the ED and provide a checklist to increase the likelihood of their successful integration and retention in this environment. Qualitative methods were used to collect data from nineteen key stakeholders who worked in hospital settings. Using a social-ecological model, themes were identified at the system, hospital, and individual levels. To support integration of PSWs and buy in for the ED team, our findings indicate a need for a planning phase that includes collaboration between leadership, ED staff, and PSWs. Specifically, planning should address four areas: (1) hiring a PSW that is a good fit for the fast-paced ED setting, (2) education of ED staff on the value and role of PSWs, (3) establishing workflow protocols, and (4) providing PSWs with training and appropriate supervision.

Predictors of having naloxone in urban and rural Oregon findings from NHBS and the OR-HOPE study

PURPOSE

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that can be effectively administered by bystanders to prevent overdose. We determined the proportion of people who had naloxone and identified predictors of naloxone ownership among two samples of people who inject drugs (PWID) who use opioids in Portland and rural Western Oregon.

BASIC PROCEDURES

We used data from participants in Portland's National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS, N = 477) and the Oregon HIV/Hepatitis and Opioid Prevention and Engagement Study (OR-HOPE, N = 133). For each sample, we determined the proportion of participants who had naloxone and estimated unadjusted and adjusted relative risk of having naloxone associated with participant characteristics.

MAIN FINDINGS

Sixty one percent of NHBS and 30 % of OR-HOPE participants had naloxone. In adjusted analysis, having naloxone was associated with female gender, injecting goofballs (compared to heroin alone), housing stability, and overdose training in the urban NHBS sample, and having naloxone was associated with drug of choice, frequency of injection, and race in the rural OR-HOPE sample. In both samples, having naloxone was crudely associated with SSP use, but this was attenuated after adjustment.

PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS

Naloxone ownership was insufficient and highly variable among two samples of PWID who use opioids in Oregon. People who use methamphetamine, males, and people experiencing homelessness may be at increased risk for not having naloxone and SSP may play a key role in improving access.

Ventricular tachycardia after naloxone administration in an adolescent

Naloxone is a medication with a largely benign safety profile that is frequently administered in the emergency department to patients presenting with altered mental status. Ventricular tachycardia has been reported after naloxone administration in adult patients with prior use of opiate or sympathomimetic medications. However, no such reports exist in the pediatric population or in patients who have no known history of opiate or sympathomimetic medication use. We describe a case of ventricular tachycardia after naloxone administration in a 17-year-old male with no known prior use of opiate or sympathomimetic agents who presented to the emergency department with altered mental status of unknown etiology. Emergency physicians may wish to prepare for prompt treatment of ventricular arrythmias when administering naloxone to pediatric patients presenting with altered mental status.

Association of Patient Sex and Pregnancy Status With Naloxone Administration During Emergency Department Visits

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of sex and pregnancy status with rates of naloxone administration during opioid overdose-related emergency department (ED) visits by using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample 2016 and 2017 data sets. Eligible records included men and women, 15-49 years of age, with an opioid overdose-related ED visit; records for women were stratified by pregnancy status (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision O codes). A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the primary outcome of naloxone administration (Current Procedural Terminology code: J2310). Secondary outcomes included subsequent admission and mortality. A subgroup analysis compared pregnant women who did receive naloxone compared with those who did not receive naloxone.

RESULTS

Records from 443,714 men, 304,364 nonpregnant women, and 25,056 pregnant women were included. Nonpregnant women had lower odds for naloxone administration (1.70% vs 2.10%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.86 [95% CI 0.83-0.89]) and mortality (2.21% vs 2.99%; aOR 0.71 [95% CI 0.69-0.73]) but higher odds of subsequent admission (30.22% vs 27.18%; aOR 1.04 [95% CI 1.03-1.06]) compared with men. Pregnant women had lower odds for naloxone administration (0.27% vs 1.70%; aOR 0.16 [95% CI 0.13-0.21]) and mortality (0.41% vs 2.21%; aOR 0.28 [95% CI 0.23-0.35]) but higher odds of subsequent admission (40.50% vs 30.22%; aOR 2.04 [95% CI 2.00-2.10]) compared with nonpregnant women. Pregnant women who received naloxone had higher odds of mortality (14% vs 0.39%; aOR 6.30 [95% CI 2.11-18.78]) compared with pregnant women who did not receive naloxone. Pregnant women who did not receive naloxone were more likely to have Medicaid as their expected insurance payer, be in the lowest quartile of median household income for residence ZIP codes, and have a concurrent mental health diagnosis compared with pregnant women who did receive naloxone.

CONCLUSION

Reproductive-aged women who are nonpregnant and pregnant were less likely to receive naloxone during opioid overdose-related ED visits compared with reproductive-aged men. Naloxone administration for reproductive-aged women should be prioritized in the efforts to reduce opioid- and pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality in the United States.

Naloxone provision to emergency department patients recognized as high-risk for opioid use disorder

INTRODUCTION

Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) are at increased risk for overdose and death. Clinical practice guidelines and professional organization policy statements recommend providing naloxone to patients at risk for overdose. We sought to characterize fidelity to naloxone practice recommendations in a cohort of Emergency Department (ED) patients in whom opioid use disorder was suspected by the treating physician.

METHODS

This single-center cross-sectional study evaluated electronic health records from an urban academic ED with 73,000 annual encounters in a region with a high prevalence of OUD. Patients ≥18 years old with encounters from January 1, 2018 to November 30, 2019 were included if discharged from the ED and either administered buprenorphine in the ED or referred to outpatient substance use treatment. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of included patients provided naloxone (take-home or prescription). We used random effects multivariable logistic regression (accounting for multiple patient encounters) to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for receiving naloxone.

RESULTS

Of 1036 eligible patient encounters, 320 resulted in naloxone provision (30.9%, 95% CI: 28.1-33.8). Naloxone provision occurred for 33.6% (95% CI 30.5-36.7) of 900 patients referred to outpatient substance use treatment without ED buprenorphine administration, 10.6% (95% CI 5.0-19.2) of 85 patients administered buprenorphine and not referred to outpatient substance use treatment, and 17.6% (95% CI 8.4-30.9) of 51 patients administered buprenorphine and referred to outpatient treatment. After controlling for age, sex, race, and prior provision of naloxone, the administration of buprenorphine was associated with a 94% lower odds (aOR = 0.06 [95% CI 0.011-0.33]) for naloxone provision compared to those only referred to outpatient treatment.

CONCLUSION

A majority of ED patients who received an intervention targeted at OUD, in an ED where take-home naloxone is freely available, did not receive either take-home naloxone or a prescription for naloxone at discharge. Patients receiving buprenorphine were less likely to receive naloxone than patients only referred to outpatient treatment. These data suggest barriers other than recognition of potential OUD and naloxone availability impact provision of naloxone and argue for a treatment "bundle" as a conceptual model for care of ED patients with suspected OUD.

A systematic review of rural-specific barriers to medication treatment for opioid use disorder in the United States

BACKGROUND

Opioid-related deaths have risen dramatically in rural communities. Prior studies highlight few medication treatment providers for opioid use disorder in rural communities, though literature has yet to examine rural-specific treatment barriers.

OBJECTIVES

We conducted a systematic review to highlight the state of knowledge around rural medication treatment for opioid use disorder, identify consumer- and provider-focused treatment barriers, and discuss rural-specific implications.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed the literature using PsycINFO, Web of Science, and PubMed databases (January 2018). Articles meeting inclusion criteria involved rural samples or urban/rural comparisons targeting outpatient medication treatment for opioid use disorder, and were conducted in the U.S. to minimize healthcare differences. Our analysis categorized consumer- and/or provider-focused barriers, and coded barriers as related to treatment availability, accessibility, and/or acceptability.

RESULTS

Eighteen articles met inclusion, 15 which addressed consumer-focused barriers, while seven articles reported provider-focused barriers. Availability barriers were most commonly reported across consumer (n = 10) and provider (n = 5) studies, and included the lack of clinics/providers, backup, and resources. Acceptability barriers, described in three consumer and five provider studies, identified negative provider attitudes about addiction treatment, and providers' perceptions of treatment as unsatisfactory for rural patients. Finally, accessibility barriers related to travel and cost were detailed in four consumer-focused studies whereas two provider-focused studies identified time constraints.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings consistently identified a lack of medication providers and rural-specific implementation challenges. This review highlights a lack of rural-focused studies involving consumer participants, treatment outcomes, or barriers impacting underserved populations. There is a need for innovative treatment delivery for opioid use disorder in rural communities and interventions targeting provider attitudes.

Opioid prescribing and opioid-overdose deaths in Michigan: Urban-rural comparisons and changes across 2013-2017

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Examined opioid prescribing and opioid-overdose death rates in Michigan counties.

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Conducted urban-rural county comparisons and tested for changes across 2013–2017.

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Higher rates of overdose deaths in urban, and higher rates of prescribing in rural.

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Opioid-overdose death rates rose in both urban and rural counties across 2013–2017.

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Opioid prescribing rates did not change in urban or rural counties across 2013–2017.

Background

Opioid-overdose deaths and opioid prescriptions have increased substantially within the past decade, leading to examinations of urban-rural differences for these opioid-related outcomes, and whether annual trends differ by urban-rural status. Most investigations have examined differences using national data, whereas few studies have identified patterns in hard-hit regions. Therefore, we examined urban-rural differences for opioid-related outcomes in Michigan, a state with overdose death and prescribing rates above the national average.

Methods

This study used county-level public data on opioid prescribing and opioid-overdose death rates in Michigan. Bivariate and joinpoint regression analyses tested for annual differences and annual changes in opioid-related outcomes across 2013–2017. Rural Urban Continuum Codes classified urban-rural county status.

Results

Bivariate analyses demonstrated that urban counties had consistently higher opioid-overdose death rates than rural, whereas rural counties had consistently higher opioid prescribing rates than urban. Joinpoint regression (2013–2017) revealed opioid-overdose death rates increased in urban (Annual Percent Change = 25.0%, p = .001) and rural counties (Annual Percent Change = 21.7%, p = .002), though no changes for opioid prescribing rates were observed among urban or rural counties.

Conclusions

Our study highlights nuanced urban-rural patterns in Michigan, a hard-hit state, compared to trends in national data. Both urban and rural counties experienced rising rates of opioid-overdose deaths, and rural counties experienced higher opioid prescribing rates than urban. Though urban counties experienced higher opioid-overdose death rates than rural, the rise in both county types was similar. Future research directions, implications for public health, and healthcare policy recommendations are discussed.

Naloxone Use Among Emergency Department Patients with Opioid Overdose

BACKGROUND

Emergency department (ED) visits for unintentional opioid overdoses have increased dramatically. Naloxone hydrochloride (Narcan®) is an opioid antagonist commonly used to treat these overdoses.

OBJECTIVE

This study was undertaken to identify experiences regarding naloxone use among ED patients with opioid overdose.

METHODS

This prospective survey study was conducted at an urban level I trauma center. A survey was administered to eligible ED patients after unintentional opioid overdose. This study identified current and previous use of naloxone among ED patients with opioid overdose.

RESULTS

Eight-nine ED patients with accidental overdose of opioids participated (90% participation rate). Most participants reported a history of opioid overdose (n = 62 [70%]). A significant minority stated they have had access to a naloxone kit (n = 28 [31%]). Most participants with a naloxone kit stated that their frequency and dosage of opiate use did not change after access to naloxone (n = 17 [63%]), and a few used opiates more often (n = 1 [4%]) or less often (n = 9 [33%]). There was a significant negative correlation between total dose and age (Spearman ρ -0.27; p = 0.01). There was no association between dose and sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Many patients presenting with opioid overdose have had a history of opioid overdose. Patients with opioid overdose required a highly variable dose of naloxone. Higher doses of naloxone were associated with lower age. Despite widespread availability of naloxone to consumers, a minority of patients in this study reported access to naloxone. Participants who had access to a naloxone kit stated that their frequency and dosage of opioid use did not change.

Performance Measures of Diagnostic Codes for Detecting Opioid Overdose in the Emergency Department

OBJECTIVES

Opioid overdose mortality has tripled in the United States since 2000 and opioids are responsible for more than half of all drug overdose deaths, which reached an all-time high in 2014. Opioid overdoses resulting in death, however, represent only a small fraction of all opioid overdose events and efforts to improve surveillance of this public health problem should include tracking nonfatal overdose events. International Classification of Disease (ICD) diagnosis codes, increasingly used for the surveillance of nonfatal drug overdose events, have not been rigorously assessed for validity in capturing overdose events. The present study aimed to validate the use of ICD, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes in identifying opioid overdose events in the emergency department (ED) by examining multiple performance measures, including sensitivity and specificity.

METHODS

Data on ED visits from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2014, including clinical determination of whether the visit constituted an opioid overdose event, were abstracted from electronic medical records for patients prescribed long-term opioids for pain from any of six safety net primary care clinics in San Francisco, California. Combinations of ICD-9-CM codes were validated in the detection of overdose events as determined by medical chart review. Both sensitivity and specificity of different combinations of ICD-9-CM codes were calculated. Unadjusted logistic regression models with robust standard errors and accounting for clustering by patient were used to explore whether overdose ED visits with certain characteristics were more or less likely to be assigned an opioid poisoning ICD-9-CM code by the documenting physician.

RESULTS

Forty-four (1.4%) of 3,203 ED visits among 804 patients were determined to be opioid overdose events. Opioid-poisoning ICD-9-CM codes (E850.2-E850.2, 965.00-965.09) identified overdose ED visits with a sensitivity of 25.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 13.6% to 37.8%) and specificity of 99.9% (95% CI = 99.8% to 100.0%). Expanding the ICD-9-CM codes to include both nonspecified and general (i.e., without a decimal modifier) drug poisoning and drug abuse codes identified overdose ED visits with a sensitivity of 56.8% (95% CI = 43.6%-72.7%) and specificity of 96.2% (95% CI = 94.8%-97.2%). Additional ICD-9-CM codes not explicitly relevant to opioid overdose were necessary to further enhance sensitivity. Among the 44 overdose ED visits, neither naloxone administration during the visit, whether the patient responded to the naloxone, nor the specific opioids involved were associated with the assignment of an opioid poisoning ICD-9-CM code (p ≥ 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Tracking opioid overdose ED visits by diagnostic coding is fairly specific but insensitive, and coding was not influenced by administration of naloxone or the specific opioids involved. The reason for the high rate of missed cases is uncertain, although these results suggest that a more clearly defined case definition for overdose may be necessary to ensure effective opioid overdose surveillance. Changes in coding practices under ICD-10 might help to address these deficiencies.

Identifying Patients for Overdose Prevention With ICD-9 Classification in the Emergency Department, Massachusetts, 2013-2014

The national rise in opioid overdose deaths signifies a need to integrate overdose prevention within healthcare delivery settings. The emergency department (ED) is an opportune location for such interventions. To effectively integrate prevention services, the target population must be clearly defined. We used ICD-9 discharge codes to establish and apply overdose risk categories to ED patients seen from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 at an urban safety-net hospital in Massachusetts with the goal of informing ED-based naloxone rescue kit distribution programs. Of 96,419 patients, 4,468 (4.6%) were at increased risk of opioid overdose, defined by prior opioid overdose, misuse, or polysubstance misuse. A small proportion of those at risk were prescribed opioids on a separate occasion. Use of risk categories defined by ICD-9 codes identified a notable proportion of ED patients at risk for overdose, and provides a systematic means to prioritize and direct clinical overdose prevention efforts.

The effect of naloxone treatment on opioid-induced side effects: A meta-analysis of randomized and controlled trails

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the effects of naloxone on opioid-induced side effects, the present meta-analysis was constructed.

METHODS

Electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and CNKI (China National Knowledge Internet) were used for literature search. Studies on comparison of opioid-side effects between naloxone-treated group and placebo or normal saline-related group were included in the meta-analysis. Heterogeneity analysis was performed with Chi-square and I test. Pooled analysis was based on fixed-effects model, if heterogeneity between the eligible studies was negligible (I < 50%, P > 0.05), otherwise, random-effects model was used. Sensitivity analysis was applied to assess the robustness of the results and publication bias was evaluated by Begg and Egger test.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies including 1138 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis indicated that naloxone could significantly reduce the occurrence of pruritus (RR [risk ratio] = 0.252, 95% CI [confidence interval] = 0.137-0.464), nausea (RR = 0.323, 95% CI = 0.245-0.428), and vomiting (RR = 0.338, 95% CI = 0.192-0.593) which were induced by opioids. However, naloxone did not relieve pain (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.052, 95% CI = -0.453 to 0.348) and somnolence (RR = 0.561, 95% CI = 0.287 to 1.097) in patients received opioid treatment. Additionally, there were no significant publication bias between the included studies (Begg test, P = 0.602; Egger test, P = 0.388).

CONCLUSION

Addition of naloxone might act as an effective treatment for prophylaxis of opioid-induced pruritus, nausea, and vomiting in clinical practice.