title: Opioid prescriptions before and after high-energy trauma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the legal use of opioids in adult patients before and after high-energy trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a retrospective database study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical care outside hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who suffered high-energy trauma and were brought to Odense University Hospital (OUH), Denmark, in 2007 and 2008 were retrieved from the trauma database. These patients were linked with data on opioid use from the regional prescription database. In all, 938 patients were included.
  
  
  METHODS
  Redemption of opioid prescription during the 6 months prior to a multitrauma or redemption of two or more prescriptions for opioids 6 months or later after a multitrauma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 938 patients brought to OUH with severe trauma within the study period, 61 patients died (7 percent) and six of these had redeemed prescriptions for opioids within 6 months prior to the trauma (10 percent) compared to 65 patients of the 877 survivors (7 percent) (odds ratio 1.4, nonsignificant). In all, 62 patients (7 percent) redeemed opioid prescriptions later than 6 months after their trauma and in a multivariable analysis, severe injury itself and severe injuries of the lower extremities were associated with redemption of opioid prescription after the trauma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors did not find any correlation between death by trauma and redemption of opioid prescriptions within the 6 months before the trauma. More severe traumas and especially severe traumas to the lower extremities were associated with redemption of opioid prescriptions after multitrauma.
authors: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Mobile Emergency Care Unit, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors: Stine T
authors: ST
authors: Zwisler
authors: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors: Jesper
authors: J
authors: Hallas
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors: Morten S
authors: MS
authors: Larsen
authors: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors: Gitte
authors: G
authors: Handberg
authors: Associate Professor, Mobile Emergency Care Unit, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Institute of Clinical Research, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors: Soeren
authors: S
authors: Mikkelsen
authors: Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Thomas P
authors: TP
authors: Enggaard
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D055553:Prescription Drugs