The following is a summary of “Risk factors for opioid use disorder after severe burns in adults,” published in the FEBRUARY 2023 issue of Surgery by DeJesus, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to investigate the risk factors for opioid dependence in burn patients.

The retrospective study utilized the TrinetX database to identify patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) after thermal or chemical burns. Propensity score matching was used to compare opioid and non-opioid analgesia use, ICU care, surgery, and comparative risks among common opiates. The data were analyzed by descriptive and univariate regression models, including odds ratios. Subgroup analysis evaluated the impact of multimodal analgesia.

Patients who developed OUD had higher odds of receiving IV opioids for acute analgesia (OR=1.80, CI=1.45–2.25, P<0.0001), undergoing surgery (OR=1.58, CI=1.26–1.98, P<0.0001), and ICU care (OR=3.60, CI=2.00–3.83, P<0.0001) after burn injury. Patients who received multimodal therapy within 24 hours of admission had lower odds of developing OUD (OR=0.74, CI=0.276–4.68, P=0.0001) and chronic pain (OR=0.89, CI=0.78–1.00, P=0.05), regardless of TBSA.

Burn patients who developed OUD had higher odds of receiving opioid-exclusive pain management, undergoing more frequent surgeries, and requiring ICU care. Multimodal analgesia within 24 hours of admission was associated with lower odds of developing OUD and chronic pain in the population. The findings may inform the development of guidelines for pain management in burn patients.

Reference: americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(22)00570-0/fulltext