Methadone Dose and Patient-Directed Discharge in Hospitalized Patients With Opioid Use Disorder

Among hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder, is there an association between the early cumulative dose of methadone and risk of patient-directed discharge?In this cohort study of 554 adults with opioid use disorder who were admitted to the hospital and received methadone during the first 72 hours, there was a decreased risk of patient-directed discharge with increased methadone dose given during the first 24 hours of care in an adjusted analysis.These findings suggest that in the fentanyl era, early treatment with a higher cumulative dose of methadone may be associated with reduced patient-directed discharge.

Corresponding Author: William M. Garneau, MD, Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N Wolfe St, Carnegie 2nd Floor, Suite 249, Baltimore, MD 21287 (william.garneau@jhmi.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.