Saif-El-Din El-Akkad1, Seonaid Nolan2, Nadia Fairbairn2, Monica Ye3, Anthony Wu3, Rolando Barrios3, Julio Montaner4, Lianping Ti5. 1. Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6. 2. Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6; Research Scientist & Health Administrative Data Lead, B.C. Centre on Substance Use Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 400-1045 Howe Street Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 2A9. 3. British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6. 4. Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6; British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6. 5. Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6; Research Scientist & Health Administrative Data Lead, B.C. Centre on Substance Use Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 400-1045 Howe Street Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 2A9. Electronic address: lianping.ti@bccsu.ubc.ca.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: High-dose opioid use is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization. People living with HIV (PLHIV) are frequently prescribed these medications to manage their pain. However, little is known about the relationship between being prescribed high doses of opioids (> 90 MME/d) and mortality risk among this population. The objective of this study was to examine the trends in mortality and the relationship between high-dose opioid analgesic prescribing and mortality among PLHIV. METHODS: Utilizing the STOP HIV/AIDS cohort--a population-level linked database of treatment of PLHIV in British Columbia--we conducted bivariable and multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) models with a Poisson distribution to examine the relationship between high-dose opioid prescription and all-cause mortality rates in the study sample. RESULTS: Between 1996 and 2015, 9272 PLHIV were included in the study. Age- and sex-adjusted mortality rate (using the 2011 Canadian population as the reference) was 30.99 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 28.11-33.88). In a multivariable GEE model with adjustment for various demographic and clinical confounders, there was a positive and independent association between being prescribed high-dose opioids and all-cause mortality rates (adjusted rate ratio [ARR] = 3.01; 95%CI: 2.47-3.66). DISCUSSION: We found that mortality rates were significantly higher among PLHIV who were prescribed high-dose opioids compared to those who were prescribed lower doses. Our results highlight the risk associated with the prescribing of high-dose opioids to manage HIV-related pain and emphasize the need to explore non-opioid approaches to pain management.
OBJECTIVES: High-dose opioid use is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization. People living with HIV (PLHIV) are frequently prescribed these medications to manage their pain. However, little is known about the relationship between being prescribed high doses of opioids (> 90 MME/d) and mortality risk among this population. The objective of this study was to examine the trends in mortality and the relationship between high-dose opioid analgesic prescribing and mortality among PLHIV. METHODS: Utilizing the STOP HIV/AIDS cohort--a population-level linked database of treatment of PLHIV in British Columbia--we conducted bivariable and multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) models with a Poisson distribution to examine the relationship between high-dose opioid prescription and all-cause mortality rates in the study sample. RESULTS: Between 1996 and 2015, 9272 PLHIV were included in the study. Age- and sex-adjusted mortality rate (using the 2011 Canadian population as the reference) was 30.99 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 28.11-33.88). In a multivariable GEE model with adjustment for various demographic and clinical confounders, there was a positive and independent association between being prescribed high-dose opioids and all-cause mortality rates (adjusted rate ratio [ARR] = 3.01; 95%CI: 2.47-3.66). DISCUSSION: We found that mortality rates were significantly higher among PLHIV who were prescribed high-dose opioids compared to those who were prescribed lower doses. Our results highlight the risk associated with the prescribing of high-dose opioids to manage HIV-related pain and emphasize the need to explore non-opioid approaches to pain management.
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