Hospitals are seeing a sharp increase in opioid-related inpatient stays and emergency department visits, according to a recent report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The increase in opioid-related hospital stays are likely linked to surging rates of overdoses related to heroin and synthetic opioids, which continue to hit record highs in regions throughout the United States.
Here are seven statistics on the rising rates of opioid hospitalizations.
1. From 2005 to 2014, opioid-relate inpatient stays increased by 64.1 percent.
2. For the same time period, opioid-related ED visits increased by 99.4 percent.
3. Rates of inpatient stays and ED visits varied from state to state.
4. Massachusetts had the highest rate of opioid-related ED visits in 2014 with an average of 441.6 visits per 100,000 people, followed by Rhode Island with 288.6 visits per 100,000 and Maryland with 288.4 visits per 100,000.
5. For 2014, the lowest rates for ED visits per 100,000 people occurred in Iowa (31.1), Nebraska (39.9) and South Dakota (47.1).
6. From 2009 to 2014, the largest percent increase of opioid-related inpatient stays occurred in Oregon (88.9 percent), followed by North Carolina (81.8 percent) and South Dakota (74.1 percent).
7. From 2009 to 2014, opioid in patient stays increased in 42 states, with 37 recording increases of at least 10 percent.
"These new data provide vital insights into the trends that are shaping one of the nation's most pressing health challenges," said AHRQ Director Andy Bindman, MD. "With updated information about state and regional variations in opioid-related hospital care, we're increasing our potential to develop effective strategies to tackle the crisis."
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