Table 1.
Prescription medication use by pain status and stage of liver disease+
| Medication | No pain (N=850) | Pain (N=436) | P | No cirrhosis (N=674) | Child’s A (N=342) | Child’s B (N=207) | Child’s C (N=63) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antidepressants (SSRI/SNRI) | 238 (28) | 182 (42) | <0.0001* | 234 (35) | 105 (31) | 57 (28) | 24 (38) | 0.15 |
| Benzodiazepines | 138 (16) | 101 (23) | 0.003* | 132 (20) | 61 (18) | 30 (14) | 16 (25) | 0.19 |
| Sleep aids | 60 (7) | 55 (13) | 0.001* | 60 (9) | 33 (10) | 14 (7) | 8 (13) | 0.47 |
| Mood stabilizers | 134 (16) | 132 (30) | <0.0001* | 146 (22) | 67 (20) | 41(20) | 12 (19) | 0.84 |
| Opioids | 155 (18) | 166 (38) | <0.0001* | 135 (20) | 81 (24) | 70 (34) | 35 (56) | <0.0001* |
| Methadone | 18 (2) | 25 (6) | 0.001* | 26 (4) | 6 (2) | 6 (3) | 5 (8) | 0.06 |
| TCA | 41 (5) | 38 (9) | 0.01* | 53 (8) | 16 (5) | 7 (3) | 3 (5) | 0.05 |
| Trazodone | 34 (4) | 57 (13) | <0.0001* | 50 (7) | 15 (4) | 19 (9) | 7 (11) | 0.08 |
| Acetaminophen | 126 (15) | 105 (24) | <0.0001* | 133 (20) | 58 (17) | 28 (14) | 12 (19) | 0.21 |
| NSAIDs | 140 (16) | 111 (25) | 0.0002* | 168 (25) | 61 (18) | 18 (9) | 4 (6) | <0.0001* |
| Aspirin | 163 (19) | 77 (18) | 0.56 | 118 (18) | 85 (25) | 27 (13) | 10 (16) | 0.003* |
+
Numbers in () are column percentages
*
statistical significance (p<0.05)
SSRI=serotonin reuptake inhibitor, SNRI=serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor
TCA=tricyclic antidepressant
NSAIDs=non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs