Study: Youth Prescription Opioid Overdoses Increased During Early Stages of COVID-19 Pandemic

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - New research from experts at Nationwide Children's Hospital shows a spike in emergency department visits among youth for prescription opioid overdoses during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for increased prevention efforts for children and teens.

The study, published today in PLOS ONE, found that despite an overall decrease in emergency department visits due to prescription opioid overdoses nationwide from 2008 to 2019, there was a substantial increase in these visits from 2019 to 2020. Infants (younger than 1 year) and adolescents aged 12 to 17 years were most impacted, and females generally had more prescription opioid overdose emergency department visits than males.

"Several possible factors could be contributing to the increase found in our research, including an increased availability of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, and the rise in mental health concerns during the pandemic," said Henry Xiang, MD, MPH, PhD, MBA, director of the Center for Pediatric Trauma Research at Nationwide Children's and lead author of the study. "Prevention efforts should be focused on young children and adolescents to reduce and further prevent these overdoses."

Infants younger than 1 year old face a special risk of drug overdose, as they could access a caregiver's prescribed opioid medications. Child-resistant packaging of adult drugs is one effective way to reduce infants' risk of drug overdose.

Study results also showed that sociodemographic factors can increase the likelihood of opioid overuse. During most of the study period, lower-income households experienced more emergency department visits than higher-income households, and hospitals in urban areas saw more emergency department visits, as well.

"We know that social determinants of health impact the overall health of a child. Physicians should consider each patient's individual circumstances in order to personalize a treatment plan," said Dr. Xiang, who is also a principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's. "Care does not stop at writing a prescription. Providers should actively follow-up with patients to assess for signs of opioid misuse and aim to reduce opioid consumption."

Additional research is needed to continue examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the opioid epidemic, utilizing national data for later years of the pandemic.

About The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report's 2023-24 list of "Best Children's Hospitals," Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of America's largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs are part of what allows Nationwide Children's to advance its unique model of care. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children's faculty train the next generation of pediatricians, scientists and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities in the U.S., supporting basic, clinical, translational, behavioral and population health research. The AWRI is comprised of multidisciplinary Centers of Emphasis paired with advanced infrastructure supporting capabilities such as technology commercialization for discoveries; gene- and cell-based therapies; and genome sequencing and analysis. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org/Research.

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