Evaluation of opioid requirements in mechanically ventilated patients taking buprenorphine/naloxone prior to admission
Authors' conclusion
Patients taking buprenorphine/naloxone prior to admission who are mechanically ventilated for at least 12 h may have opioid requirements similar to opioid-naïve patients and lower than opioid-tolerant patients.
Study context
- Population
- Adults admitted to a medical intensive care unit (ICU) and mechanically ventilated for at least 12 h
- Participants
- 176 adults
- Exposure
- Buprenorphine/naloxone before admission vs opioid-naïve and opioid-tolerant patients
- Buprenorphine/naloxonen = 47
- Opioid-naïven = 69reference
- Opioid-tolerantn = 60
- Outcome
- Mean hourly opioid rate (fentanyl equivalents, μg FE/h) from intubation until extubation
- Follow-up
- Up to 72 h
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Buprenorphine/naloxone vs Opioid-naïve: P = 0.17 · Buprenorphine/naloxone vs Opioid-tolerant: P = 0.22
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | Estimated rate ratio (95 % CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly opioid rate, multivariable negative binomial modelOpioid-tolerant vs Opioid-naïve · 50 % higher rates | 1.5 ([1.01, 2.23]) | |
| 0.512Estimated rate ratio (log scale) |
Hourly opioid rate, multivariable negative binomial model
- Similar hourly rates in buprenorphine/naloxone and opioid-naïve patients
Time with pain scores at goal
- Similar
Time with sedation scores at goal
- Similar between buprenorphine/naloxone and opioid-naïve; lower than opioid-tolerant
Original publication
Evaluation of opioid requirements in mechanically ventilated patients taking buprenorphine/naloxone prior to admission. J Crit Care. Published 16 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →