Opioid Use in Adolescents

James Humphrey, Bri Lytle, Marissa Marzano, Mary Jo Miller, Audra

Picuri
 Research Question

For adolescents, does the use of education reduce the future risk of
opioid abuse compared with lack of education ?
 Abstract
● Is education effective to prevent adolescent opioid addiction and is the
education provided by schools and healthcare providers sufficient?
● High school students from Wisconsin stated that most of their education
about opioids came from the internet search engines, parents, healthcare
professionals, and online videos.
● Many adolescents have a basic knowledge of drug use and have already
experimented with these substances.
● Early education is paramount and there is room for improvement in the
school institutions and healthcare systems.
 Introduction
● Goal: Understand the correlation between identifying possible opioid
addiction and prevention of the addiction through education.
● Opioids are commonly prescribed during incidences of injury and illness
as a means to control pain in adolescents.
● Where should the education responsibility fall? Providers, Schools,
Parents, or Adolescents themselves?
● Key: Developing a better understanding of when organized opioid
education should be started in both the healthcare and school systems.
Post-Surgical Prescription Opioid Use
•An opioid is prescribed to patients to alleviate their postsurgical pain.
•Introduction of opioids for pain relief Increases the risk of opioid abuse
•Acetaminophen or Tylenol, nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs aka
NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve) and Antidepressants are alternative
measures to treat pain
•Education to the family
•Possible negative outcomes
•Proper disposal
•Refills 3 or more months after procedure
 Study by: Univ. of Michigan Researchers at the American
Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition
(2017)
● One in 20 young adults receive opioid prescription refills for a long
period post surgery
● 5% of patients 13- 21 years who had common surgeries received
refills 3- 6 months after
● Of 88,637 patients, 4,343 got refills 90 to 180 days after surgery

○ Tonsil or adenoid removal, hernia repair, cholecystectomy and scoliosis

Patterns of Opioid Use in Adolescents:
-Study done by: Joel D. Hudgens, et al
● Prescription opioid use is now a leading cause of death and injury among adolescents
● Opioid exposures accounted for over twelve percent of all deaths in 2016 among 15-24 year olds
● Sample used in this study: evidenced that 27.5% reported using a prescription opioid within the
past year (2016)
● What was found:

High school seniors receiving a first-time medical prescription for an opioid have been shown to

have a 33% increased risk of future opioid misuse after high school
Patterns Continued

-76% of respondents who reported hx of heroin use had previously engaged in nonmedical
use of prescription opioids

What does this mean?

● Adolescents and young adults who engage in prescription opioid misuse are more
likely to have future opioid use as adults
● Prescription opioid use in this age group also leads to further substance abuse
● Those can include: cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, tobacco, and alcohol
How do adolescents obtain Opioids?
-Mostly young adults obtain prescription opioids for free from:
● Friends
● Relatives
● A single prescriber

-Study done by Hudgens, et al:

● nearly half of adolescents and 58% of young adults misusing opioids receive them from friends and relatives.

● And 25.4% of adolescents and young adults obtained opioids from the healthcare system

This needs to be taken into account when figuring out treatment plans and interventions for these

adolescents ...Screenings? Pamphlets? More discussions?

Treatments for Opioid Abuse

When treating an adolescent, it is important to include the patient and their family in the
creation of the treatment plan. There are two methods of treatment currently used.
● Psychotherapy is the first choice treatment for patients suffering from Opioid Abuse
Disorder.
Treatments Continued