Investigating home-based opioid use among youth with sickle cell disease using ecological momentary assessment

Abstract

Background: Opioids are a common and essential treatment for acute sickle cell disease (SCD) pain. However, opioids carry well-known adverse side effects, including potential development of hyperalgesia and nociplastic pain. We characterized opioid use in youth with SCD using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data, and investigated the relationships between home-based opioid use, pain, and a range of biopsychosocial factors. Method: Eighty-eight youth with SCD (aged 8–17 years) completed EMAs assessing home-based opioid use, pain, and related factors. Analyses consisted of descriptive and multilevel logistic regression to predict daily home opioid use. Results: Youth averaged 3.64 weeks of EMAs. Approximately 35% of the sample (n = 31) took an opioid during the EMA period, and used them on only 24% of reported pain days. Youth who took opioids reported a higher percentage of pain days (t = −2.67, p