Associations Between Prescription Opioid Use and Sleep Impairment among Veterans with Chronic Pain. Issue 11 (14th June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Morasco, Benjamin J.; O'Hearn, Daniel; Turk, Dennis C.; Dobscha, Steven K.
• Is Part Of: Pain medicine. Volume 15:Issue 11(2014)
• Page Start: 1902
• Page End: 1910
• Publication Date: 2014-06-14
• Subjects: Pain -- Periodicals; Pain -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Analgesics -- Periodicals; Pain -- Periodicals; Pain Management -- Periodicals; Douleur -- Périodiques; Douleur -- Traitement -- Périodiques; Analgésiques -- Périodiques; Analgésique; Soulagement de la douleur; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 616.047205
• DOI: 10.1111/pme.12472
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1526-2375

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="pme12472-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>Chronic pain is associated with impairments in sleep; however, the relationship between prescription opioid status and sleep is unclear. The primary aim of this study was to examine differences in self‐reported sleep quality between groups of patients who varied based on chronic pain and prescription opioid status.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12472-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Design</title> <p>This is a cross‐sectional study with retrospective review of patient medical records.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12472-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Setting</title> <p>The study was performed in a single VA medical center located in the Pacific Northwest.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12472-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Subjects</title> <p>Participants with chronic pain and a current prescription for opioid medications (N = 72), chronic pain and no opioid prescription (N = 104), or who did not report current chronic pain or opioid prescription (N = 91) were included.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12472-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>All participants completed self‐report questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, sleep parameters, pain‐related variables, and psychiatric symptoms. Data on prescription opioid use were extracted from patients' medical records.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12472-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>In unadjusted analyses, patients with chronic pain who were prescribed opioids were more likely to have sleep apnea diagnoses in their medical record and reported more impairment on sleep global score and across four sleep parameter subscales (subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep disturbance, and use of sleeping medications). In linear regression analyses controlling for demographic and clinical covariates, prescription opioid status was associated with sleep latency, and opioid dose was significantly associated with sleep latency and sleep global score.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12472-sec-0007" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Prescription opioid status and dose were associated with impairment in self‐reported sleep. For patients with chronic pain, consideration should be given to use of nonpharmacological interventions to improve sleep.</p> </sec> </abstract>