Abstract
Background
Along with a growing opioid epidemic nationwide, opioid users often have an increased risk of severe infectious diseases including endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and central nervous system (CNS) abscess. As the largest city in the United States, New York City (NYC) may serve as a study model for opioid use and infectious diseases. We investigated the association between opioid use and hospitalizations for endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and CNS abscess in NYC.
Methods
Data for NYC residents aged ≥18 years discharged from New York State hospitals during 2001–2014 were analyzed using a hospital discharge dataset. We defined a hospitalization for endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and CNS abscess as one with a principal or secondary diagnosis for these conditions within the discharge record. We identified opioid users by examining principal or secondary diagnoses for opioid use within the discharge record at the time of hospitalization for endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and CNS abscess. Log-binomial model was applied among all hospitalized patients using endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and CNS abscess as the outcome, adjusting for age, sex, race, and borough.
Results
During 2001–2014, there were 139,392 hospitalizations in total for endocarditis, osteomyelitis, or CNS abscess, of which 8,823 (6.3%) were among opioid users. There was an increased risk of hospitalization for endocarditis [RR: 2.6 (95% CI: 2.5–2.7)], osteomyelitis [RR: 1.1 (95% CI: 1.1–1.1)], and CNS abscesses [RR: 1.9 (95% CI: 1.8–2.1)] among hospitalized opioid users compared with hospitalized nonopioid users, adjusted by age, sex, race, and borough. Hospitalized opioid users had four times the risk for endocarditis hospitalization compared with hospitalized nonopioid users in the 18–44 year age group (RR: 4.2 [95% CI: 3.9–4.5]) (Table 1).
Conclusion
These results provide further evidence that opioid use is associated with an increased risk of endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and CNS abscess. Efforts to combat the opioid epidemic might lower the overall incidence of endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and CNS abscess.
Disclosures
All authors: No reported disclosures.
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