Prescription opioids are associated with higher mortality in patients diagnosed with sepsis: A retrospective cohort study using electronic health records

PLoS One. 2018 Jan 2;13(1):e0190362. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190362. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Sepsis continues to be a major problem for hospitalized patients. Opioids are widely used medications for pain management despite recent evidence revealing their adverse effects. The present study evaluates survival differences between opioid-treated patients and non-opioid-treated patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of sepsis. Clinical data was extracted from the University of Minnesota's Clinical Data Repository, which includes Electronic Health Records (EHRs) of the patients seen at 8 hospitals. Among 5,994 patients diagnosed with sepsis, 4,540 opioid-treated patients and 1,454 non-opioid patients were included based on whether they are exposed to prescription opioids during their hospitalization. Cox proportional hazards regression showed that after adjustments for demographics, clinical comorbidities, severity of illness, and types of infection, opioid-treated patients had a significantly higher risk of death at 28 days.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / administration & dosage*
  • Analgesics, Opioid / adverse effects
  • Electronic Health Records*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sepsis / mortality*
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid