Opioid medication use in patients with gastrointestinal diagnoses vs unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms in the US Veterans Health Administration.
Gregory S SayukN KanuriChandra Prakash GyawaliB M GottB D NixR A RosenheckPublished in: Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics (2018)
Despite the potential for adverse consequences, opioids more often are prescribed for veterans with chronic, unexplained GI symptoms compared to those with structural diagnoses. Psychiatric comorbidities and frequent healthcare encounters mediate some of the opioid use risk.