Association of Prescription Opioid Use for Chronic Pain Syndromes with Asthma and Allergy

Abstract

RATIONALE: While many ED visits for asthma or wheezing are for true exacerbations, patients who do not need to seek emergency services often do, unnecessarily increasing asthma-related healthcare costs. We sought to identify patients utilizing the ED for asthma-related care when not necessary. METHODS: This retrospective chart review during fiscal year 2016 looked at patients who were (a) triaged at level 4 or 5 (lowest level of acuity) and (b) had an established primary care provider (PCP) within one mile from the ED; those who only required a single MDI or nebulizer treatment qualified. Factors such as time of day, day of the week, age, whether treatments were done at home and what interventions were done in the ED were recorded. Children older than 5 are automatically triaged at level 3 or higher and therefore were not included. RESULTS: Out of 59 chart reviews, 31 (53%) patients met all criteria. The average age was 2.4 years. 65% of visits were during normal business hours; 42% did not attempt any treatments at home within 4 hours of ED arrival; 42% received a single MDI or nebulizer treatment; 58% required no treatment. All patients had a diagnosis of asthma later in life. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study identified a group of patients who presented to the ED for mild respiratory symptoms during business hours of their easily accessible PCP. Further studies might identify factors associated with unnecessary ED usage and focus on cost-saving interventions to encourage and educate families on the appropriate location when seeking asthma care. Abstracts AB223MONDAY