Acute Pain in Patients With Active Substance Use Disorder

Opioid use and addiction have soared in the United States over the past 20 years, and drug overdoses have become the leading cause of injury death.

Persons with opioid use disorder (OUD), particularly those injecting opioids, frequently require hospitalization and encounter need of acute opioid analgesia for trauma, surgery, infection, and other medical conditions.

Treatment of acute pain in persons with OUD present challenges for acute pain management including altered nociception thresholds, physical dependence and withdrawal, tolerance, impaired immune response, and behavioral issues such as opioid seeking and poor coping skills.

Clear goals of care and use of engaging communication methods are essential to deliver optimal inpatient care and smooth plans for hospital discharge.

This session will cover key principles to working with this population including
1) improving patient safety and healthcare outcomes by treating underlying OUD;
2) optimizing pain relief for necessary surgical and medical treatment by providing multimodal analgesia;
3) facilitating access to medication treatment programs upon discharge;
4) empowering patients and providers by promoting clear, just, and equitable treatment of pain; and
5) protecting communities by promoting discharge opioid prescribing habits that minimize risk.