TABLE 1.
Patient characteristics (N = 13)
| Patient characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 37.0 (10.1) |
| Sex, n (%) | |
| Male | 7 (53.8) |
| Female | 6 (46.2) |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | |
| Non‐Hispanic White | 4 (30.8) |
| Non‐Hispanic Black | 7 (53.8) |
| Hispanic | 2 (15.4) |
| Mood disorder, n (%) | 6 (46.2) |
| Anxiety disorder, n (%) | 3 (23.1) |
| Psychosis, n (%) | 1 (7.7) |
| ED visits in preceding 1 year, mean (SD) | 3.0 (5.7) |
| Hospitalizations in preceding 1 year, mean (SD) | 1.7 (3.0) |
| Stably housed, n (%) | 8 (61.5) |
| Reason for ED visit, n (%) | |
| Opioid withdrawal symptoms | 5 (38.5) |
| Treatment for OUD | 3 (23.1) |
| Medical complication of OUD a | 2 (15.4) |
| Medical | 3 (23.1) |
| Setting of buprenorphine induction, n (%) | |
| ED | 9 (69.2) |
| Hospital | 4 (30.8) |
| ED disposition, n (%) | |
| Discharge to self‐care | 2 (15.4) |
| Discharge to OUD treatment facility | 2 (15.4) |
| Left against medical advice | 0 (0.0) |
| Acute care hospital admission | 9 (69.2) |
| Hospital disposition (n = 9), n (%) | |
| Discharge to self‐care | 2 (15.4) |
| Discharge to OUD treatment facility | 1 (7.7) |
| Left against medical advice | 5 (38.5) |
| Deceased | 1 (7.7) |
| Primary encounter diagnosis, a n (%) | |
| OUD‐related | 7 (53.4) |
| Infectious disease | 4 (30.8) |
| Other medical | 2 (15.4) |
Abbreviations: ED, emergency department; OUD, opioid use disorder.
a
OUD‐related category includes opioid use disorder, opioid withdrawal, opioid dependence, opioid abuse, and other substance use disorders. Infectious disease category includes sepsis and pneumonia, cellulitis, abscess, endocarditis, spinal epidural abscess, and osteomyelitis. Other medical includes all other diagnosis that did not fall into either of the aforementioned pre‐specified categories, for example, stroke, heart failure, or acute kidney injury.