OBJECTIVE: This study attempts to examine long-term pain medication usage after burn injury and its association with functional and psychosocial outcomes.
DESIGN: This is a multi-center retrospective cohort study utilizing the Burn Model System National Longitudinal Database. Participants injured from 2015 to 2021 were divided into two groups, those taking and not taking prescription pain medication at 12 months after injury. Regression analyses examined associations between pain medication use and outcomes at 12 months, adjusting for demographics, burn size, length of hospital stay, and pre-injury pain medication use and employment status. Outcomes included VR-12 Physical and Mental Component Summary scores (PCS and MCS), Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29) Anxiety and Depression scores, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and employment status.
RESULTS: Of 358 participants analyzed, prescription pain medication use was associated with worse outcomes at 12 months: PCS (β = -7.11, p < 0.001), MCS (β = -6.01, p < 0.001), and PROMIS-29 Depression (β = 4.88, p < 0.001) and Anxiety (β = 6.16, p < 0.001). SWLS was not significantly associated with pain medication use (p = 0.069) and those taking pain medication were 52% less likely to be employed at 12 months (p = 0.035).
CONCLUSION: There is a significant association between prescription pain medication use and worse physical, mental, and employment outcomes at 12 months after burn injury.