Table 2.
Patterns of the use of opioids for pain management in a cohort of 1,129 patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Colombia.
| Drug | n = 1129 | (%) | Doses (mean) | Interval (no. of doses/day) | nDDDa | Therapy duration (months) | Percent female | Mean age (years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weak opioids | ||||||||
| Codeine | 861 | 76.3 | 47.7 | 3 | 0.47 | 24.1 | 0.83 | 61.5 + 11.6 |
| Tramadol | 803 | 71.1 | NA∗ | NA∗ | NA | 21.6 | 0.83 | 61.5 + 11.6 |
| Hydrocodone | 252 | 22.3 | 12.9 | 3 | 0.86 | 35.6 | 0.85 | 64.9 + 11.2 |
| Tapentadol | 9 | 0.8 | 109.7 | 2 | 0.27 | 41.3 | 0.67 | 64.2 + 11.9 |
|
| ||||||||
| Strong opioids | ||||||||
| Oxycodone | 76 | 6.7 | 32.3 | 2 | 0.43 | 36.0 | 0.87 | 64.4 + 12.8 |
| Morphine | 74 | 6.6 | NA∗ | NA∗ | NA | 35.1 | 0.81 | 64.2 + 10.8 |
| Hydromorphone | 63 | 5.6 | 6.7 | 1 | 0.33 | 36.4 | 0.86 | 65.7 + 11.4 |
| Methadone | 7 | 0.6 | 32.4 | 3 | 1.29 | 53.7 | 100.00 | 72.3 + 7.9 |
∗Presentation most used in bottle with dropper. aRelationship between the mean dose and the defined daily dose. Defined daily dose (DDD): gold standard measuring unit for international drug utilization, monitoring, and research (recommended by the WHO). Each medication has a daily dose defined by the WHO; the calculation presented is the ratio between the average used and the defined daily dose. Being 1, the use of the same dose recommended as DDD.