A practical review of buprenorphine utilization for the emergency physician in the era of decreased prescribing restrictions.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid abuse and overdose deaths have reached epidemic proportions in the last couple decades. In response to rational prescribing initiatives, utilization of prescription opioids has decreased; however, the number of deaths due to opioid overdoses continues to rise, largely driven by fentanyl analogues in adulterated heroin. Solutions to the opioid crisis must be multifaceted and address underlying opioid addiction. In recent years, buprenorphine has become a cornerstone in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) and initiation of therapy in the emergency department (ED) has become increasingly common. There have also been calls by many organizations to remove the requirement for additional training and X-waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. In April 2021, the Biden Administration eased prescribing restrictions on the drug. These initiatives are expected to increase ED utilization of the buprenorphine. The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated overview of the role and use of buprenorphine in the ED setting so physicians may adapt to the changing practice environment. OBJECTIVES: This is a narrative review describing the role of buprenorphine in the ED. A PubMed search was conducted using the keywords "opioid epidemic" "buprenorphine," and "medication assisted therapy", and "emergency department". All the articles that contained information on the opioid epidemic, medication assisted therapy, and the biological effects of buprenorphine, that were also relevant to pain management and the ED, were included in the review. DISCUSSION: Multiple studies have pointed to the effective use of buprenorphine as a treatment for OUDs in ED patients and are superior to standard care; however, there are various barriers to its use in the ED setting. CONCLUSION: Emergency physicians can influence opioid related morbidity and mortality, by familiarizing themselves with the use of buprenorphine to treat opioid withdrawal and addiction, particularly now that prescribing restrictions have been eased. Further ED research is necessary to assess the optimal use of buprenorphine in this care setting.

The Impact of the Parenteral Opioid Medication Shortages on Opioid Utilization Practices in the Emergency Department of Two University Hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: Both opioid and non-opioid analgesics are commonly utilized in treating acute and chronic pain in the emergency department (ED). Opioid stewardship efforts have focused on judicious opioid use and opioid alternatives as first-line analgesics. Parenteral opioid formulations have been impacted by periodic shortages creating the opportunity for a natural experiment to observe how emergency clinician prescribing behavior may be impacted. We investigated the change in analgesic practice related to a period of parenteral opioid shortage at two large urban, academic medical centers. METHODS: A retrospective review of pharmacy administration data from two academic urban EDs was performed looking at time periods before, during, and after resolution of the parenteral opioid shortage. The data were analyzed by medication, dose, time, number of doses, and oral morphine milligram equivalents (MME) administered per patient. RESULTS: The percentage of patients who received any opioid among ED visits decreased during the shortage period and did not return to pre-shortage levels after the shortage ended: 11.5% pre, 8.5% during (p=0.01), 7.2% post (NS; p=0.18). The number of doses of either oral or IV opioid doses administered during the shortage decreased significantly: 8.7% pre, 5.6% during (p=0.02) for PO, and 13.7% pre, 9.0% during (p=0.004) for IV, and neither changed during recovery from the shortage. The percentage of patients receiving non-opioid analgesics rose from 30.5% before to 45.8% (p=0.004) after the shortage. Among patients who received opioids, the MME per patient did not change across the time periods: 11.5% before, 11.2% during, 12.7% post. CONCLUSIONS: A period of restricted opioid use due to parenteral opioid shortages led to less opioid use overall and fewer patients treated with opioids, yet no significant change in opioid MME administered per patient requiring opioids. Overall, the shift in opioid prescribing during the parenteral opioid shortage appeared to be sustained in the post-shortage period.

The rising cost of commonly used emergency department medications (2006-15).

OBJECTIVE: We determine how aggregate costs have changed for commonly used emergency department (ED) medications, and assess drivers of cost increases. METHODS: Using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), we identified the top 150 ED medications administered and prescribed at discharge in 2015. We used average wholesale prices (AWP) for each year from 2006 to 15 from the Red Book (Truven Health Analytics Inc.). Average wholesale price per patient (AWPP) was calculated by dividing AWP by drug uses. This was then multiplied by the total drug administrations or prescriptions to estimate the total cost in a given the year. All prices were converted to 2015 dollars. RESULTS: Aggregate costs of drugs administered in the ED increased from $688.7 million in 2006 to $882.4 million in 2015. For discharge prescriptions, aggregate costs increased from $2.031 billion in 2006 to $4.572 billion in 2015. AWPP for drugs administered in the ED in 2015 was 14.5% higher than in 2006 and 24.3% higher at discharge. The largest absolute increase in AWPP for drugs administered was for glucagon, which increased from $111 in 2006 to $235 in 2015. The largest AWPP increase at discharge was for epinephrine auto-injector, which increased from $124 in 2006 and to $481 in 2015. CONCLUSION: Over the course of the study period, the aggregate costs of the most common medications administered in the ED increased by 28% while the costs of medications prescribed at discharge increased 125%.

Characterizing Trends in Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist Use from Patient Clinical Evaluations during Medical Toxicology Consultation.

Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) are a new class of compounds with profound psychoactive effects and potential toxicity. This study characterizes patterns in SCRA abuse using qualitative interviews with individuals receiving medical toxicology consultation. Patients with suspected exposure to a new psychoactive substance were interviewed by medical toxicologists upon presentation for acute care. Investigators collected clinical and qualitative data including knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices related to psychoactive substance use. Responses were categorized by identifying themes, and statistics were generated to describe patterns of use. Overall, 69% (86) of the 124 cases of novel psychoactive substance use entered into the registry were associated with exposure to SCRAs. Most patients (68.8%) had used SCRAs at least once before the presenting episode. 47.7% considered SCRAs to be very easy to obtain, and 44.2% reported paying for the substances while 32.6% acquired it for free. Nearly half (48.8%) of patients reported their primary reason for use was to get high; a small proportion used SCRAs to avoid testing positive on drug screening (6.9%) or as an alternative to marijuana (4.6%). Findings suggest an independent and stable culture is developing around the use of SCRAs separate from their appeal as an "undetectable" alternative to marijuana.

Hemophilia and von Willebrand Disease: A Review of Emergency Department Management.

BACKGROUND: Hemophilia and von Willebrand disease (VWD) are the most common congenital coagulation factor deficiencies. Patients with these disorders who experience bleeding complications are often initially managed in the emergency department (ED). OBJECTIVE OF THE REVIEW: This review will focus on the emergency department management of patients with these disorders and provide an update on current treatment options. DISCUSSION: The mainstay of management is initial stabilization, control of bleeding when possible, and administration of specific factors. Early coordination of care with hematology is critical. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency medicine providers must have an understanding of the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and management strategies in order to optimally care for these complex patients.

Suspected synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist intoxication: Does analysis of samples reflect the presence of suspected agents?

BACKGROUND: There has been a surge in synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist (SCRA) exposures reported in recent years. The constituents of SCRA preparations are constantly evolving and rarely confirmed. We sought to characterize the constituents of reported SCRA exposures presenting to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: Patients who presented to two academic EDs in Washington, DC with reported or suspected SCRA exposure from July 2015-July 2016 were enrolled at the discretion of the treating provider. Blood and/or urine samples were obtained as part of routine clinical care and sent to the DC medical examiner's office for identification of known SCRAs with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry. Standard toxicology screens were additionally performed to determine the presence of other drugs of abuse. RESULTS: 128 samples were analyzed. Seventy-one (55.5%) were positive for an SCRA. The most common SCRAs detected were AB-fubinaca (28, 39.4%), ADB-fubinaca (15, 21.1%), AB-chminaca 3-methyl-butanoic acid (15, 21.1%), ADB-chminaca (14, 19.7%), and 5-flouro-PB-22 (8, 11.3%). Fifty-seven (44.5%) samples were negative for an SCRA, of which 28 (21.9%) were positive for another substance, most commonly delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and phencyclidine. An additional 29 (22.7%) patients had both negative SCRA and toxicology screens. CONCLUSIONS: Of patients presenting with reported SCRA intoxication, 55.5% had detectable SCRAs on analytical testing. These results suggest that in a considerable proportion of cases, clinicians are mis-attributing the effects of other drugs or medical conditions to SCRA use. The individual SCRAs detected in our study differed from compounds detected in earlier studies, suggesting there has been a change in constituents.

Patient-Related Risk Factors for Infection Following Ulnar Nerve Release at the Cubital Tunnel: An Analysis of 15,188 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Although cubital tunnel release is a commonly performed orthopaedic procedure, the overall incidence of and independent risk factors for infection largely remain undefined in the current literature. PURPOSE: To establish the rate of postoperative infection after isolated cubital tunnel release and define relevant patient-related risk factors. STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study; Level 3. METHODS: All Medicare-insured patients undergoing ulnar nerve decompression at the cubital tunnel from 2010 through 2012 were identified. A multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis was utilized to evaluate the impact of patient-related risk factors for postoperative infection. RESULTS: A total of 330 (2.17%) postoperative infections were identified in 15,188 cases. The majority (87%) were managed nonoperatively, while 13% required surgical debridement. The most significant risk factors for infection included hemodialysis use (odds ratio [OR], 2.47), chronic anemia (OR, 2.24), age <65 years (OR, 2.08), tobacco use (OR, 1.65), morbid obesity (OR, 1.53), inflammatory arthritis (OR, 1.43), depression (OR, 1.36), hyperlipidemia (OR, 1.33), male sex (OR, 1.32), and chronic lung disease (OR, 1.29). CONCLUSION: The present study was adequately powered to determine numerous patient-related risk factors for infection following cubital tunnel release.

Scapular Notching.

Developed in 1985, the Grammont-style reverse total shoulder arthroplasty offered a biomechanical advantage for the deltoid muscle as well as predictably reduced pain and improved shoulder function in rotator cuff-deficient shoulders. Despite favorable outcomes, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty is associated with a unique set of complications, one of which is scapular notching. Scapular notching is believed to be a result of mechanical impingement of the humeral component on the lateral scapular pillar. Although it appears that scapular notching progresses with time, its effect on implant survivorship and clinical outcomes is unknown. Factors associated with scapular notching are categorized into several groups, including patient-specific risk factors, surgical approach and technique, and prosthetic design. Surgical strategies to reduce the rate of scapular notching include inferior positioning of the glenosphere, inferior tilting of the glenosphere, and increasing the size of the glenosphere. A lateralized center of rotation and a decreased humeral shaft-neck angle also decrease the incidence of scapular notching. As the indications for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty expand, it is important for orthopaedic surgeons to understand the etiology and incidence, predictive factors, and clinical relevance of scapular notching as well as strategies to avoid it.

Evolution of cranial epilepsy surgery complication rates: a 32-year systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECT: Surgical interventions for medically refractory epilepsy are effective in selected patients, but they are underutilized. There remains a lack of pooled data on complication rates and their changes over a period of multiple decades. The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of reported complications from intracranial epilepsy surgery from 1980 to 2012. METHODS: A literature search was performed to find articles published between 1980 and 2012 that contained at least 2 patients. Patients were divided into 3 groups depending on the procedure they underwent: A) temporal lobectomy with or without amygdalohippocampectomy, B) extratemporal lobar or multilobar resections, or C) invasive electrode placement. Articles were divided into 2 time periods, 1980-1995 and 1996-2012. RESULTS: Sixty-one articles with a total of 5623 patients met the study's eligibility criteria. Based on the 2 time periods, neurological deficits decreased dramatically from 41.8% to 5.2% in Group A and from 30.2% to 19.5% in Group B. Persistent neurological deficits in these 2 groups decreased from 9.7% to 0.8% and from 9.0% to 3.2%, respectively. Wound infections/meningitis decreased from 2.5% to 1.1% in Group A and from 5.3% to 1.9% in Group B. Persistent neurological deficits were uncommon in Group C, although wound infections/meningitis and hemorrhage/hematoma increased over time from 2.3% to 4.3% and from 1.9% to 4.2%, respectively. These complication rates are additive in patients undergoing implantation followed by resection. CONCLUSIONS: Complication rates have decreased dramatically over the last 30 years, particularly for temporal lobectomy, but they remain an unavoidable consequence of epilepsy surgery. Permanent neurological deficits are rare following epilepsy surgery compared with the long-term risks of intractable epilepsy.