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Review of Neurologic Comorbidities in Hospitalized Patients With Opioid Abuse
Kevin R Nelson1, Katelyn Dolbec1, William Watson1
1Department of Neurology (KRN, KD, WW, MI), University of Kentucky, Lexington; Department of Neurology (WW), Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD; Performance Analytics Center of Excellence (HY), University of Kentucky Health Care, Lexington; Department of Epidemiology (MI), University of Kentucky, Lexington; and Lexington VA Health Care System (Troy Bowling Campus) (MI), US Department of Veterans Affairs, KY.
Purpose Of Review:
To determine the prevalence and burden of neurologic comorbidities in hospitalized patients with opioid abuse.
Recent Findings:
From 1 year of hospital discharges, 2,182 patients with opioid abuse were identified (prevalence 6.3%), with abuse greater among younger patients (p < 0.0001), women (p < 0.0001), Whites (p < 0.0001), and urban population (p = 0.028). Matching for age, sex, race, and urban-rural residence, 347 patients were reviewed, and 179 (52%) had a neurologic comorbidity. The comorbidities frequently overlapped and included encephalopathy (130), neuromuscular disorders (42), seizures (23), spine disorders (23), strokes (20), CNS infections (3), and movement disorders (2). Abuse patients with neurologic comorbidities experienced substantially greater number of hospital and intensive care unit days and mortality, independent of overdose.
Summary:
Neurologic comorbidities are a frequent and heretofore underappreciated contributor to the disease burden of hospitalized patients with opioid abuse. The importance of neurologic comorbidities should be included in the public health discussions surrounding the opioid epidemic.
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