The prevalence of nasal obstruction as a consideration in the treatment of opioid overdose.

Objectives: The intranasal route of administration for naloxone delivery is one treatment for opioid overdose, but treatment failures with this modality have been documented. This study determines the incidence of obstructive nasal pathology in patients who experienced serious opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD).

Design: Retrospective analysis of the IMS LifeLink: Health Plan Claims Database to detect patients with at least one opioid pharmacy claim from 2009 to 2013 and who experienced serious OIRD.

The impact of chronic pain on direct medical utilization and costs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To examine how pain affects health care utilization and direct medical costs in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to patients with other chronic diseases.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort analysis using administrative data of a managed health care system in the Southwestern US for years 2006-2010.

Methods: COPD patients age ≥40 years were matched to similar patients with other chronic conditions on age, sex, insurance type, and a health care event (outpatient visit, emergency department visit, or inpatient stay).

Retrospective accounts of initial subjective effects of opioids in patients treated for pain who do or do not develop opioid addiction: a pilot case-control study.

This pilot case-control study retrospectively assessed between-groups differences in subjective opioid effects in patients treated for the first time with opioids for chronic pain. Cases were individuals in an inpatient substance abuse treatment center for primary prescription opioid addiction whose initial exposure to prescription opioids was reported for chronic pain. Controls had not developed prescription opioid addiction as measured in part by close monitoring on long-term opioid therapy at a pain management center.