Opioid Use Disorder Increases 30-Day Readmission Risk in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Hospitalizations: a Nationwide...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• The opioid epidemic necessitates understanding risks in vulnerable patient populations like those with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD].
• Opioid prescribing has increased, particularly for IBD patients managing chronic pain.
• Opioid use disorder [OUD] poses a significant challenge in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the impact of opioid use disorder [OUD] on 30-day readmission rates following hospitalizations for inflammatory bowel disease [IBD].
• To analyze trends in OUD and readmissions within the IBD patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of adult IBD hospitalizations and 30-day readmissions from the National Readmissions Database (2010-2014).
• Utilized conventional and exact-matched logistic regression and time-to-event analyses.
• Focused on patients not undergoing surgery during the index hospitalization.

Main Results:

• Identified 487,728 IBD hospitalizations; 1.4% had OUD. Overall 30-day readmission rate was 19.4%, significantly higher in OUD patients (32.6%).
• OUD prevalence increased from 1.1% to 1.7% (p < 0.001) between 2010-2014.
• OUD patients showed a 47% higher likelihood of 30-day readmission (HR 1.47) and were readmitted 32% earlier.

Conclusions:

• OUD prevalence is rising among hospitalized IBD patients.
• OUD is a significant independent risk factor for increased 30-day readmissions in IBD patients.
• Enhanced post-discharge outpatient follow-up and pain management strategies are recommended to mitigate readmission risks for IBD patients with OUD.