Examining Analgesic Synergy and Efficacy in Trauma Care

A different medication which has been used in place of full agonist opioids is a product known as buprenorphine, which was developed in the 1960's. This medication works as a partial agonist/antagonist of the µ opioid pain receptors. It has performed robustly in comparison to full opioid agonist (FAO) medications, and in a recent meta-analysis of this medication, it was responsible for reducing pain, less rescue analgesia use, and similar rates of adverse events in comparison to full opioid agonist therapy. This also concurrently lowered the amount of Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) used by the postoperative patients, although the achievement of lower pain scores is the significant finding. These data assert that buprenorphine is more efficacious than FAO in mitigating acute post op pain due to comparable analgesic effect and longer duration of action when compared to many other oral opioids.

This medication has been commonly used in patients with opioid abuse disorder and has shown improvements in specific patient outcome metrics when induction therapy is performed in hospital for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Further, continuation of buprenorphine for patients taking the medication as an outpatient for acute pain control has been shown to be safe, and to have similar efficacy to discontinuation in favor of standard pain regimen therapy.

Inclusion criteria

• Adult patients with injury to at least 2 body locations as defined by Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) scores (Head, Face, Neck, Chest, Abdomen/Pelvis, Spine, Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, External)

Exclusion criteria

• Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) <15 - Patients may be included if their GCS improves to 15 within 24 hours of admission
• Age <18 years
• Age ≥80years
• Prisoners
• Pregnant patients
• Non-English speakers
• Inability to provide consent
• Home buprenorphine or methadone use
• Home opioid use >45 Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME)/day
• Allergy to any medication within the study or control arm
• Patients undergoing treatment for alcohol withdrawal
• History of cirrhosis requiring dose adjustment of Tylenol