Daniel Bertenthal1, Kristine Yaffe1,2,3,4, Deborah E Barnes1,2,3, Amy L Byers1,2,3, Carolyn J Gibson1,5, Karen H Seal1,2,5. 1. a San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System , San Francisco , CA, USA. 2. b Department of Psychiatry, University of California , San Francisco , CA, USA. 3. c Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California , San Francisco , CA, USA. 4. d Department of Neurology, University of California , San Francisco , CA, USA. 5. e Department of Medicine, University of California , San Francisco , CA, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Opioid therapy is contraindicated in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with neuropsychological impairment, yet guidelines do not consistently predict practice. We evaluated independent risk for initiation of opioid therapy among combat veterans with chronic pain diagnoses and persistent postconcussive symptoms. METHODS: We assembled a retrospective cohort of 53 124 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare between October 2007 and March 2015 who received chronic pain diagnoses, completed a Comprehensive TBI Evaluation (CTBIE) and had not received opioid therapy in the prior year. Primary exposure variables were self-reported severe or very severe Emotional, Vestibular, Cognitive and Somatic/Sensory symptoms measured using the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory. Outcome measures were initiation of short-term and long-term opioid therapy within the year following CTBIE. RESULTS: Self-reported severe and very severe postconcussive symptoms predicted initiation of long-term and short-term opioid use for chronic pain in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. In adjusted analyses, all four postconcussive symptom domains significantly predicted initiation of long-term opioid therapy, with Emotional symptoms being the strongest predictor [ARR = 1.68 (1.52, 1.86)]. CONCLUSIONS: Increased opioid prescribing in veterans with self-reported severe persistent postconcussive symptoms indicates a need to educate prescribers and make non-opioid pain management options available for veterans with TBI and neuropsychological sequelae.
OBJECTIVES: Opioid therapy is contraindicated in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with neuropsychological impairment, yet guidelines do not consistently predict practice. We evaluated independent risk for initiation of opioid therapy among combat veterans with chronic pain diagnoses and persistent postconcussive symptoms. METHODS: We assembled a retrospective cohort of 53 124 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare between October 2007 and March 2015 who received chronic pain diagnoses, completed a Comprehensive TBI Evaluation (CTBIE) and had not received opioid therapy in the prior year. Primary exposure variables were self-reported severe or very severe Emotional, Vestibular, Cognitive and Somatic/Sensory symptoms measured using the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory. Outcome measures were initiation of short-term and long-term opioid therapy within the year following CTBIE. RESULTS: Self-reported severe and very severe postconcussive symptoms predicted initiation of long-term and short-term opioid use for chronic pain in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. In adjusted analyses, all four postconcussive symptom domains significantly predicted initiation of long-term opioid therapy, with Emotional symptoms being the strongest predictor [ARR = 1.68 (1.52, 1.86)]. CONCLUSIONS: Increased opioid prescribing in veterans with self-reported severe persistent postconcussive symptoms indicates a need to educate prescribers and make non-opioid pain management options available for veterans with TBI and neuropsychological sequelae.
Entities:
Keywords:
Cognitive; Neuropsychological; Opioids; Pain; Post concussional syndrome
Authors: Audrey Béliveau; Anne-Marie Castilloux; Cara Tannenbaum; Philippe Vincent; Cristiano Soares de Moura; Sasha Bernatsky; Yola Moride Journal: CMAJ Open Date: 2021-02-09
Authors: Yasmina Molero; David James Sharp; Brian Matthew D'Onofrio; Henrik Larsson; Seena Fazel Journal: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry Date: 2021-02-09 Impact factor: 10.154