Opioid-Related ICU Admission, Deaths on the Rise

ICU admissions and deaths from opioid overdoses have significantly increased since 2009, according to a recent report.

While it is known that rates of opioid abuse are increasing, the effect on critical care resources in the US is unknown.

Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult admissions from 162 hospitals in 44 states discharged between 2009 and 2015.

The primary outcome of the study was opioid-associated overdose admissions to the ICU, and secondary outcomes included in-hospital death and markers of ICU resources.

Overall, the cohort included 22,783,628 admissions, 4,145,068 of whom required ICU care. Over the course of the study, opioid overdose admissions increased by 34% and mortality rate averaged 7%, but increased to 10% in 2015.

“The number of deaths of ICU patients with opioid overdoses increased substantially in the seven years of our study, reflecting increases in both the incidence and mortality of this condition. Our findings raise the need for a national approach to developing safe strategies to care for patients with overdose in the ICU, to providing coordinated resources in the hospital for patients and families, and to helping survivors maintain sobriety on discharge,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Stevens JP, Wall MJ, Novack L, et al. Critical care crisis among opioid overdoses [published online August 8, 2017]. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. http://www.thoracic.org/about/newsroom/press-releases/resources/opioid-crisis-and-icus.pdf.