Opioid analgesic use among patients presenting with acute abdominal pain and factors associated with surgical diagnoses

D. Khemani, M. Camilleri, A. Roldan, A. D. Nelson, S. Y. Park, A. Acosta, A. R. Zinsmeister

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of chronic opioid use among non-cancer patients presenting with acute abdominal pain (AAP) is unknown. The aim was to characterize opioid use, constipation, diagnoses, and risk factors for surgical diagnoses among non-cancer patients presenting with AAP to an emergency department (ED). Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational cohort study of all (n=16,121) adult patients (88% from MN, IA and WI) presenting during 2014 with AAP. We used electronic medical records, and focused on 2352 adults with AAP who underwent abdominal CT scan within 24 hours of presentation. We determined odds ratios of association with constipation and features predicting conditions that may require surgery (surgical diagnosis). Key Results: There were 2352 eligible patients; 18.8% were opioid users. Constipation was more frequent in opioid (35.1%) compared to non-opioid users [OR 2.88 (95% CI 2.28, 3.62)]. Prevalence of surgical diagnosis in the opioid and non-opioid users was 35.3% and 41.7% respectively (P=.019). By univariate analysis, age and neutrophil count independently predicted increased risk, and chronic opioid use decreased risk of surgical diagnosis. Internal validation of logistic models using a randomly selected validation subset (25% of entire cohort, 587/2352) showed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the validation and full cohorts were similar. Conclusions and Inferences: Approximately 19% of adults presenting with AAP were opioid users; constipation is almost three times as likely in opioid users compared to non-opioid users presenting with AAP. Factors significantly associated with altered risk of surgical diagnoses were age, opioid use, and neutrophil count.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere13000
JournalNeurogastroenterology and Motility
Volume29
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2017

Keywords

  • CT
  • abdominal pain
  • constipation
  • emergency
  • opioids

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
  • Gastroenterology

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