A study, published in JAMA Surgery, examined the incidence and predictors of opioid prescriptions at hospital discharge for patients who were treated for a traumatic injury.
Researchers studied 33,762 patients with a traumatic injury, who were treated at both military healthcare facilities as well as civilian trauma centers and hospitals between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2013. The patients were between 18 and 64 years. Researchers used the Drug Enforcement Administration's list of scheduled narcotics to determine opioid use.
Among the 33,762 patients, 54.3 percent received an opioid prescription at discharge.
The research team found the following factors were associated with a higher likelihood of opioid prescription at discharge:
● Older age (45 to 64 years versus 18 to 24 years)
● Marriage
● Higher injury severity score
The following factors were associated with a lower likelihood of opioid prescription at discharge:
● Male sex
● Anxiety
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