Patient utilization of prescription opioids after discharge from the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) visits associated with prescription opioids have increased in the last ten years. This study describes the opioid utilization of patients discharged from the ED with an opioid prescription for pain, 14 to 21 days post discharge. METHODS: This is a prospective, single-centered, survey-based observational descriptive study conducted from December 2017 to February 2018 in the ED at a tertiary level 1 trauma center. The primary outcomes were the percentage of patients with unused opioids and the quantity of opioids remaining 14 to 21 days post ED discharge. A sample of ED patients who received an oral opioid prescription were approached for informed consent and received a telephone survey 14 to 21 days post discharge. RESULTS: Of 178 patients approached for consent, 122 were enrolled. Among them, 98 were successfully surveyed (80.3%). The median number of pills prescribed was 8 (IQR:8-12). Nearly half (49%) of patients had unused opioids 14 to 21 days post ED discharge, not including 9.2% of patients who never filled their prescriptions. Of the total 980 pills prescribed, 327 pills remained unused (33.4%). Only 55.1% of patients reported receiving counseling on side effect of opioids and 21.4% of patients reported they received counseling on storage and disposal. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients in this study had unused or unfilled opioids 14 to 21 days post ED discharge, and approximately one third of the opioids prescribed remained unused. Most patients did not recall receiving opioid related education including proper disposal of medication.

Seizure Prophylaxis in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Single-Center Study.

The use of prophylactic anticonvulsants to prevent early post-traumatic seizures (PTSs) is recommended but inconsistently employed in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The authors evaluated outcomes associated with prophylaxis administration in patients with TBI at a Level 1 trauma center. All patients admitted with TBI from October 2007 through May 2012 were included. Our primary outcome was the incidence of early PTSs. Secondary outcomes included mortality, length of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stays, and incidence of late seizures. Of the 2,111 patients with TBI, 557 (26.4%) received seizure prophylaxis and 1,554 (73.6%) did not. Two early PTSs occurred in the prophylaxis group (0.4%), whereas 21 occurred in the non-prophylaxis group (1.4%) (p = 0.05). The overall mortality rate was higher in patients who received prophylaxis (14.2% vs. 6.2%; p < 0.001), and the mean hospital length of stay (LOS) was longer (6.8 ± 6.9 vs. 3.8 ± 5 days; p < 0.001). In patients with severe and moderate TBI, the rate of prophylaxis administration was approximately half, whereas significantly fewer patients with mild TBI received prophylaxis than did not (20.2% vs 79.8%, p < 0.001). Lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and longer hospital LOS were associated with early PTS (p = 0.008 for both comparisons), but sex and age were not. Brain hemorrhage was present in 78.3% of those patients who experienced early seizures. In our cohort, patients who received seizure prophylaxis had a lower GCS score, higher overall mortality rate, longer LOS, and more frequent ICU admissions, suggesting that patients who received prophylaxis were likely more severely injured.