Adolescent Trauma Patients Are at Risk for Long-Term Opioid Use and Overdose

Legally prescribed opioids are a gateway to the development of opioid use disorder. Acute traumatic injuries may be an entry point for exposure to opioids. Further, adolescent trauma patients may be a particularly vulnerable population due to individual risk-taking behavior, evolving coping skills, and peer pressure.

This retrospective study examined long-term opioid use in 737 patients ages 12 to 18 years (mean, 14.5) who were admitted to one of two level I trauma centers in Indiana from 2011 to 2013. Most patients suffered blunt trauma and had mild or moderate injury severity. Fifteen percent of patients screened positive for alcohol use on admission and 5% screened positive for drug use. In the 4 years after the trauma visit, 13% of patie…