Evaluation of Emergency Department Management of Opioid-Tolerant Cancer Patients With Acute Pain

As-needed opioid dosing for emergency patients with a daily use of opioids

BACKGROUND

Patients with a daily use of opioids have a higher risk of insufficient pain treatment during hospitalization than other patients. This study aimed to examine whether as-needed opioid doses (PRN) were adequately adjusted when patients were admitted to the emergency department (ED) with pain.

METHODS

Patients, with a daily use of opioids, who received PRN opioid within the first 3 h after admission at the ED at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, were prospectively included from February 2021 to June 2021. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients receiving an inadequate initial dose of PRN opioid, here defined as <15% of daily dose of opioids (DDO) based on sparse evidence, but aligning with the prevailing clinical practice. Secondary outcomes included risk of an inadequate PRN dose in relation to DDO (patients were dichotomized into two groups (DDO <60 or ≥60 mg/day).

RESULTS

Among 252 patients admitted to the ED with a daily use of opioids, 149 were admitted with pain and 82 received a PRN opioid dose within 3 h. Twenty-seven out of 82 (33%) patients received a PRN dose of <15% of DDO (95% CI: 23.7-43). When dichotomised; 10 out of 50 (20%) patients with a DDO <60 mg/day (95% CI: 10.0-33.7) versus 17 out of 32 (53.1%) patients with a DDO ≥60 mg/day (95% CI: 34.7-70.9) received an inadequate PRN dose (relative risk, RR: 2.65 [95% CI: 1.4-5.1]).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with daily use of opioids presenting in the ED with acute pain had a high risk of inadequate PRN opioid dose, especially if the DDO was high. Awareness about and education focusing on sufficient PRN doses for patients with a daily use of opioids is (still) called for.

Pain Management at the End of Life in the Emergency Department: A Narrative Review of the Literature and a Practical Clinical Approach

Access to pain management is a fundamental human right for all people, including those who are at the end of life (EOL). In end-stage patients, severe and uncontrolled pain is a common cause of admission to the emergency department (ED), and its treatment is challenging due to its complex, often multifactorial genesis. The aim of this narrative review was to identify the available literature on the management of severe EOL pain in the ED. The MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases were searched from inception to 1 April 2023 including randomised controlled trials, observational studies, systemic or narrative reviews, case reports, and guidelines on the management of EOL pain in the ED. A total of 532 articles were identified, and 9 articles were included (5 narrative reviews, 2 retrospective studies, and 2 prospective studies). Included studies were heterogeneous on the scales used and recommended for pain assessment and the recommended treatments. No study provided evidence for a better approach for EOL patients with pain in the ED. We provide a narrative summary of the findings and a review of the management of EOL pain in clinical practice, including (i) the identification of the EOL patients and unmet palliative care needs, (ii) a multidimensional, patient-centred assessment of the type and severity of pain, (iii) a multidisciplinary approach to the management of end-of-life pain, including an overview of non-pharmacological and pharmacological techniques; and (iv) the management of special situations, including rapid acute deterioration of chronic pain, breakthrough pain, and sedative palliation.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Cancer Pain Placed in an Emergency Department Observation Unit

Pain remains an undertreated complication of cancer, with poor pain control decreasing patients’ quality of life. Traditionally, patients presenting to an emergency department with pain have only had two dispositions available to them: hospitalization or discharge. A third emerging healthcare environment, the emergency department observation unit (EDOU), affords patients access to a hospital’s resources without hospitalization. To define the role of an EDOU in the management of cancer pain, we conducted a retrospective study analyzing patients placed in an EDOU with uncontrolled cancer pain for one year. Patient characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics and predictors of disposition from the EDOU and were identified with univariate and multivariate analyses. Most patients were discharged home, and discharged patients had low 72-hour revisit and 30-day mortality rates. Significant predictors of hospitalization were initial EDOU pain score (odds ratio (OR) = 1.12; 95% CI 1.06−1.19; p < 0.001) and supportive care (OR = 2.04; 95% CI 1.37−3.04; p < 0.001) or pain service (OR = 2.67; 95% CI 1.63−4.40; p < 0.001) consultations. We concluded that an EDOU appears to be the appropriate venue to care for a subsegment of patients presenting to an emergency department with cancer pain, with patients receiving safe care as well as appropriate consultation and admission when indicated.

Oncologic emergencies and urgencies: A comprehensive review

Patients with advanced cancer generate 4 million visits annually to emergency departments (EDs) and other dedicated, high-acuity oncology urgent care centers. Because of both the increasing complexity of systemic treatments overall and the higher rates of active therapy in the geriatric population, many patients experiencing acute decompensations are frail and acutely ill. This article comprehensively reviews the spectrum of oncologic emergencies and urgencies typically encountered in acute care settings. Presentation, underlying etiology, and up-to-date clinical pathways are discussed. Criteria for either a safe discharge to home or a transition of care to the inpatient oncology hospitalist team are emphasized. This review extends beyond familiar conditions such as febrile neutropenia, hypercalcemia, tumor lysis syndrome, malignant spinal cord compression, mechanical bowel obstruction, and breakthrough pain crises to include a broader spectrum of topics encompassing the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, venous thromboembolism and malignant effusions, as well as chemotherapy-induced mucositis, cardiomyopathy, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Emergent and urgent complications associated with targeted therapeutics, including small molecules, naked and drug-conjugated monoclonal antibodies, as well as immune checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, are summarized. Finally, strategies for facilitating same-day direct admission to hospice from the ED are discussed. This article not only can serve as a point-of-care reference for the ED physician but also can assist outpatient oncologists as well as inpatient hospitalists in coordinating care around the ED visit.

Compassion Inequities and Opioid Use Disorder: A Matched Case-Control Analysis Examining Inpatient Management of Cancer-Related Pain for Patients With Opioid Use Disorder

CONTEXT

The opioid epidemic spurred guidelines intended to reduce inappropriate prescribing. Although acute cancer-related pain was excluded from these recommendations, studies demonstrate reduced opioid prescribing for patients hospitalized with advanced cancer.

OBJECTIVES

We performed a matched case-control analysis to determine how a history of opioid use disorder (OUD) affects inpatient management of cancer pain.

METHODS

Charts of patients with OUD admitted for cancer pain from 2015-2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Hospitalizations were matched 1:1 by patient age and sex. Home milligram-morphine equivalent per day (MME/day) was calculated from the home medication list. Admission MME/day was the average MME/day administered during hospitalization.

RESULTS

A total of 80 hospitalizations (40:40) were matched for 25 patients with a history of OUD and 31 patients with no history of OUD. Cancer was metastatic/relapsed for 70% of admissions. The median overall survival was 2.3 months (95% CI 0-5.21, P = 0.13). Patients with OUD had a significantly lower change from Home to Admission MME/day (-3 vs. 37, P < 0.01) and were less likely to have any increase in Admission MME/day (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.02-0.43, P < 0.01). When considering opioids administered after pain specialty consultation, there was no difference between groups.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that patients with OUD receive lower quality inpatient management of cancer-related pain. Provider education and early involvement of pain specialists are crucial in delivering equitable and compassionate end-of-life care for patients with OUD.

Cancer related emergencies with the chief complaint of pain: Incidence, ED recognition, and quality of care

BACKGROUND

Pain is the most common reason for cancer-related emergency department (ED) visits and a precursor of the urgency of oncological emergencies.

PURPOSE

To identify the incidence of oncological emergencies with the chief complaint of pain and evaluate ED recognition and quality of care in managing the associated emergency.

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study of cancer patients presented to three EDs during the four-year study period.

RESULTS

The study's sample consisted of 252 patients admitted with oncological emergencies with a chief complaint of pain. Some oncological emergencies were more likely to be prioritized appropriately, such as febrile neutropenia and increased intracranial pressure. However, most patients with spinal cord compression and cardiac tamponade were more likely to be triaged to less urgent triage categories. Timeliness of ED care was suboptimal for most patients, particularly among those assigned to less urgent triage categories. Indicators for the low quality of care extended beyond ED with multiple adverse events in the hospital.

CONCLUSION

Triage nurses are expected to use the oncological emergencies' prevalent symptoms to allocate the patients to high triage urgency accurately. Patient waiting to be seen expected to be reassessed periodically to ensure waiting remain safe. Hospitals can adopt or establish pathways, protocols, or standardized order sets to fast-track patients with oncological emergencies. The health information system should be available to monitor and improve the delivered care continuously.

Cancer pain management in the emergency department: a multicenter prospective observational trial of the Comprehensive Oncologic Emergencies Research Network (CONCERN)

PURPOSE

Many patients with cancer seek care for pain in the emergency department (ED). Prospective research on cancer pain in this setting has historically been insufficient. We conducted this study to describe the reported pain among cancer patients presenting to the ED, how pain is managed, and how pain may be associated with clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a multicenter cohort study on adult patients with active cancer presenting to 18 EDs in the USA. We reported pain scores, response to medication, and analgesic utilization. We estimated the associations between pain severity, medication utilization, and the following outcomes: 30-day mortality, 30-day hospital readmission, and ED disposition.

RESULTS

The study population included 1075 participants. Those who received an opioid in the ED were more likely to be admitted to the hospital and were more likely to be readmitted within 30 days (OR 1.4 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.88) and OR 1.56 (95% CI: 1.17, 2.07)), respectively. Severe pain at ED presentation was associated with increased 30-day mortality (OR 2.30, 95% CI: 1.05, 5.02), though this risk was attenuated when adjusting for clinical factors (most notably functional status).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with severe pain had a higher risk of mortality, which was attenuated when correcting for clinical characteristics. Those patients who required opioid analgesics in the ED were more likely to require admission and were more at risk of 30-day hospital readmission. Future efforts should focus on these at-risk groups, who may benefit from additional services including palliative care, hospice, or home-health services.

Endogenous opiates and behavior: 2017

This paper is the fortieth consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2017 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).

The Use of Ketamine as an Adjunct to Treating Opioid Refractory Cancer-Related Pain in the Emergency Department

The Research to Practice column is designed to provide advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with an analysis of a current research topic with implications for practice change within the emergency care settings. This review examines a recent study conducted by entitled "Ketamine as an adjunct to opioids for acute pain in the emergency department: A randomized controlled trial." The authors conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial at a single academic emergency department (ED) to compare standard opioid pain control in the ED population to the use of ketamine in conjunction with opioids in the same population. Participants were randomized into either the ketamine group, receiving 0.1 mg/kg of ketamine in conjunction with an intravenous opioid, or to the control group, receiving an equivalent volume of normal saline in addition to an intravenous opioid. Participants were evaluated for adequacy of pain control, side effects, and level of sedation every 30 min up to the 120-min time point. Data revealed that patients receiving ketamine had a statistically significant lower mean pain score, 0.6512 (p = 0.0083), compared with patients in the control group. The data also showed that patient satisfaction with pain control was similar for the ketamine group and the control group. These and other associated findings have implications for APRN practice, including managing acute pain in the ED setting and preventing hospital admission of acute-on-chronic pain exacerbations in the ED.

Analysis of Diagnoses, Symptoms, Medications, and Admissions Among Patients With Cancer Presenting to Emergency Departments

IMPORTANCE

Better understanding of the emergency care needs of patients with cancer will inform outpatient and emergency department (ED) management.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a benchmark description of patients who present to the ED with active cancer.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This multicenter prospective cohort study included 18 EDs affiliated with the Comprehensive Oncologic Emergencies Research Network (CONCERN). Of 1564 eligible patients, 1075 adults with active cancer were included from February 1, 2016, through January 30, 2017. Data were analyzed from February 1 through August 1, 2018.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The proportion of patients reporting symptoms (eg, pain, nausea) before and during the ED visit, ED and outpatient medications, most common diagnoses, and suspected infection as indicated by ED antibiotic administration. The proportions observed, admitted, and with a hospital length of stay (LOS) of no more than 2 days were identified.

RESULTS

Of 1075 participants, mean (SD) age was 62 (14) years, and 51.8% were female. Seven hundred ninety-four participants (73.9%; 95% CI, 71.1%-76.5%) had undergone cancer treatment in the preceding 30 days; 674 (62.7%; 95% CI, 59.7%-65.6%) had advanced or metastatic cancer; and 505 (47.0%; 95% CI, 43.9%-50.0%) were 65 years or older. The 5 most common ED diagnoses were symptom related. Of all participants, 82 (7.6%; 95% CI, 6.1%-9.4%) were placed in observation and 615 (57.2%; 95% CI, 54.2%-60.2%) were admitted; 154 of 615 admissions (25.0%; 95% CI, 21.7%-28.7%) had an LOS of 2 days or less (median, 3 days; interquartile range, 2-6 days). Pain during the ED visit was present in 668 patients (62.1%; 95% CI, 59.2%-65.0%; mean [SD] pain score, 6.4 [2.6] of 10.0) and in 776 (72.2%) during the prior week. Opioids were administered in the ED to 228 of 386 patients (59.1%; 95% CI, 18.8%-23.8%) with moderate to severe ED pain. Outpatient opioids were prescribed to 368 patients (47.4%; 95% CI, 3.14%-37.2%) of those with pre-ED pain, including 244 of 428 (57.0%; 95% CI, 52.2%-61.8%) who reported quite a bit or very much pain. Nausea in the ED was present in 336 (31.3%; 95% CI, 28.5%-34.1%); of these, 160 (47.6%; 95% CI, 12.8%-17.1%) received antiemetics in the ED. Antibiotics were administered in the ED to 285 patients (26.5%; 95% CI, 23.9%-29.2%). Of these, 209 patients (73.3%; 95% CI, 17.1%-21.9%) were admitted compared with 427 of 790 (54.1%; 95% CI, 50.5%-57.6%) not receiving antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This initial prospective, multicenter study profiling patients with cancer who were treated in the ED identifies common characteristics in this patient population and suggests opportunities to optimize care before, during, and after the ED visit. Improvement requires collaboration between specialists and emergency physicians optimizing ED use, improving symptom control, avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations, and appropriately stratifying risk to ensure safe ED treatment and disposition of patients with cancer.