ED patients who abuse opioids were much more likely to participate in addiction treatment when started on buprenorphine/naloxone in the ED.
Emergency department (ED) management of opioid abuse is usually limited to management of emergent adverse events. Could we do more? Investigators at an urban hospital randomized 329 adult ED patients reporting opioid dependence to one of three interventions: referral to addiction treatment services; referral and brief ED counseling; or referral, ED counseling, and initiation of therapy with buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone), when indicated.
The rate of participation in addiction treatment at 30 days (the main outcome) was 78% in the buprenorphine/naloxone group, 45% in the ED counseling group, and 37% in the referral-only group. Of the three groups, 11%, 35%, and 37%, respectively, used inpatient addiction treatment services within 30 days. …
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education
Grant/Research SupportAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality; CDC; NIH–National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NIH–National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); NIH–NIAID–Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group; Merck; Pfizer; Boehringer-Ingelheim; Shire; Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novartis; bioMérieux; Siemens; Rapid Pathogen Screening; Magnolia; Stago; Innovative Biosensors; Molecular Detection, Inc.; Dyax Corp.; Trius Pharmaceuticals
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education
Grant/Research SupportAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality; CDC; NIH–National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NIH–National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); NIH–NIAID–Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group; Merck; Pfizer; Boehringer-Ingelheim; Shire; Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novartis; bioMérieux; Siemens; Rapid Pathogen Screening; Magnolia; Stago; Innovative Biosensors; Molecular Detection, Inc.; Dyax Corp.; Trius Pharmaceuticals