Potentially harmful drug–drug interactions in the therapeutic regimens of persons with spinal cord injury

Study design Cross-sectional cohort study. Objectives To examine: (1) the self-reported frequency of specific prescription benzodiazepine use, (2) concurrent benzodiazepine and opioid use, and (3) sociodemographic, SCI, and opioid use factors associated with frequent benzodiazepine use. Setting Community. Methods Participants included 918 community dwelling adults with chronic ( > 1 year) traumatic SCI originally identified from a specialty hospital or a state-based surveillance system. Self-reported frequency of specific prescription benzodiazepines and opioids used, concurrent use, and factors associated with use were assessed. Results Twenty percent reported any benzodiazepine use in the past year and 13% reported at least weekly use. Concurrent daily or weekly use of benzodiazepines and opioids was reported by 6.5%, with those individuals taking an average of 1.1 (0.4) benzodiazepines and 1.4 (0.6) opioids. Compared to younger adults, those 50–65 years old had lower odds of at least weekly benzodiazepine use (OR = 0.50, 95% CI, 0.29–0.89, p-value = 0.02). Non-Hispanic Blacks reported lower use of benzodiazepines compared to non-Hispanic whites (OR = 0.32, 95% CI, 0.15–0.68, p-value = <0.01). Weekly opioid use was associated with higher odds of using benzodiazepines (OR = 3.10, 95%CI, 1.95–4.95, p-value = <0.01). Conclusions Benzodiazepine use was commonly reported among those with SCI. Despite the potential risks, a high portion of those who reported benzodiazepine use also reported prescription opioid use. The findings highlight the need for monitoring of prescription medication use to avoid potentially risky concurrent use and adverse outcomes.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

hi@scite.ai

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

Potentially harmful drug–drug interactions in the therapeutic regimens of persons with spinal cord injury

Cited by 2 publications

References 68 publications

Relationships of self-reported opioid and benzodiazepine use with health-related quality of life among adults with spinal cord injury

Relationships of self-reported opioid and benzodiazepine use with health-related quality of life among adults with spinal cord injury

Self-reported benzodiazepine use among adults with chronic spinal cord injury in the southeastern USA: associations with demographic, injury, and opioid use characteristics

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About