MPH Program faculty led study links opioids, infection risk for patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Use of opioid analgesics is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for serious infections among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a Vanderbilt study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
“Future studies will examine the association between specific opioids and the risk of infections. Identifying opioid formulations that are particularly problematic would be important to inform the selection of pain control medications, especially for vulnerable populations,” said Carlos Grijalva, M.D., MPH, associate professor of Health Policy and one of the co-authors of the study.
The Vanderbilt team also included Ed Mitchel, M.S., Marie Griffin, M.D., MPH, and Mike Stein, M.D.