Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of hospitalized Veterans by opioid exposure status during 6 months preceding hospitalization (N=122,794)
| No opioids N=66,899 (54.5%) |
Occasional opioids N=24,093 (19.6%) |
Chronic opioids N=31,802 (25.9%) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Variables | |||
| Age mean (SD) | 68.7 (12.8) | 66.5 (12.7) | 64.5 (11.5) |
| Age N(%) | |||
| <=59 (reference) | 15,170 (22.7) | 6,703 (27.8) | 10,334 (32.5) |
| 60-65 | 15,076 (22.5) | 5,973 (24.8) | 8,983 (28.3) |
| 66-77 | 17,226 (25.8) | 5,871 (24.4) | 7,453 (23.4) |
| >=78 | 19,427 (29.0) | 5,546 (23.0) | 5,032 (15.8) |
| Male N (%) | 64,673 (96.7) | 22,964 (95.3) | 30,200 (95.0) |
| Race N (%) | |||
| White | 48,888 (73.1) | 17,358 (72.1) | 25,087 (78.9) |
| Black | 14,480 (21.6) | 5,553 (23.1) | 5,089 (16.0) |
| Other | 1,172 (1.8) | 450 (1.9) | 645 (2.0) |
| Unknown | 2,359 (3.5) | 732 (3.0) | 981 (3.1) |
| Income <=$20,000 N (%) | 40,414 (60.4) | 14,105 (58.5) | 18,945 (59.6) |
| Rural residence N (%) | 16,697 (25.0) | 6,277 (26.1) | 9,356 (29.4) |
| Region N (%) | |||
| Northeast | 15,053 (22.5) | 4,437(18.4) | 5,231(16.5) |
| South | 24,083(36.0) | 9,390(39.0) | 12,720(40.0) |
| Midwest | 16,000(23.9) | 5,714(23.7) | 7,762(24.4) |
| West | 11,763(17.6) | 4,552(18.9) | 6,089(19.2) |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index mean (SD) |
2.3(2.0) | 2.6(2.3) | 2.7(2.3) |
| Comorbidities N (%) | |||
| Cancer (not metastatic) | 11,818(17.7) | 5,549(23.0) | 6,874(21.6) |
| Metastatic cancer | 866(1.3) | 733(3.0) | 1,104(3.5) |
| Chronic pain | 25,748 (38.5) | 14,811 (61.5) | 23,894 (75.1) |
| COPD | 20,750(31.0) | 7,876(32.7) | 12,117(38.1) |
| Diabetes, complicated | 10,917(16.3) | 4,620(19.2) | 6,304(19.8) |
| Heart failure | 14,267(21.3) | 5,035(20.9) | 6,501(20.4) |
| Renal disease | 11,311(16.9) | 4,586(19.0) | 4,981(15.7) |
| Dementia | 2,180(3.3) | 459(1.9) | 453(1.4) |
| Mental health other than PTSD | 33,390(49.9) | 13,657(56.7) | 20,726(65.2) |
| PTSD | 7,216(10.8) | 3,607(15.0) | 5,938(18.7) |
| Palliative care use N(%) | 1,407(2.1) | 639(2.7) | 1,024(3.2) |
All comparisons were significant at p<.0001 except for Heart Failure (p=.0055).
COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.