Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pain is the hallmark of sickle cell disease (SCD), the most common genetic disorder globally. Opioid analgesics are frequently used in their treatment, and with repeated use, the likelihood of developing opioid use disorder (OUD) increases. Additionally, poorly managed pain is a significant reason for heightened hospital service utilization among these individuals.
AIM: To determine the association of opioid use disorder and health care utilization among patients with sickle cell disease in northwestern Nigeria
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto and involved SCD patients. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to gather data on sociodemographic, clinical, and healthcare utilization variables, the Rapid Opioid Dependence Screen (RODS) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-7 (MINI) were employed to screen and diagnose OUD, respectively.
RESULTS: SCD patients with comorbid OUD reported significantly more daycare visits (P = 0.004), specialist care visits (P = 0.009), laboratory tests (P = 0.006), higher rates of hospitalization (P = 0.002), longer hospital stays (P = 0.005), and more visits to emergency services or departments (P = 0.002), but no significant increase in blood transfusion (P = 0.339) or visits to other hospitals (P = 0.765).
CONCLUSION: This study showed that comorbid SCD and OUD are associated with increased urgent healthcare utilization, including more daycare visits, emergency department visits, higher hospitalization rates, and longer hospital stays. Therefore, screening, prompt treatment, and rehabilitation for individuals with SCD and OUD are essential to help reduce the burden on the healthcare system.

Key words: Opioid use disorder, Opioid, Sickle cell disease, Health Care Utilization.