COVID-19 Related Outcomes in Patients With Substance Use Disorders

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the unique health disparities that have long impacted people who use drugs. Persons with substance use disorders (SUD) experience numerous barriers to care, such as difficulty engaging with traditional care models, financial insecurity, unstable housing, and social stigmas. These barriers were further compounded during lockdowns.

Earlier studies have shown higher rates of hospitalization, intubation, and death from COVID-19 in those with SUD. Moreover, little is known about the incidence of other COVID-associated clinical complications among persons with SUD. Hence, it is critical to better understand how SUD impacts COVID-19 disease severity.

Drug Abuse | Drug Addiction | Substance Abuse - Overview
The use of Drugs for reasons other than its prescribed recommendation, is known as Drug abuse or substance abuse. Drug abuse or substance abuse is initiated by various biological and social factors.

‘A similar likelihood of COVID-19-related complications in hospitalized patients with and without substance use disorders.’

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New research from Boston Medical Center (BMC) found that substance use disorders do not increase the likelihood of dying from COVID-19. The research findings are published in Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment.

Given these conflicting data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified persons with SUD as suggestive of a higher risk for severe COVID-19. The goal of this study was to assess the association between SUD and inpatient COVID-19-related mortality.

Comparing COVID-19-related Mortality Between Patients With and Without Substance Use Disorders

BMC is known for excellent clinical care and innovative research related to substance use disorder. Since the early days of the pandemic, BMC has also been a leader in the treatment of individuals with COVID-19, including persons with complex medical and social needs.

As BMC sees a high proportion of patients who use substances, it was an apt location for the study: almost 14% of the study population had SUD, exceeding the national average of 10.8% in people ages 18 or older.

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Researchers reviewed the medical records of 353 adults without SUD and 56 adults with SUD admitted to Boston Medical Center early into the COVID-19 pandemic and compared the likelihood of COVID-19-related complications between individuals with and without substance use disorders. They compared the relationship between COVID-19 and mortality, clinical complications, and resource utilization.

In this retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to a safety net hospital during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, SUD was not associated with the primary outcome of COVID-19-associated inpatient mortality.

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The secondary analysis showed that those with and without SUD had similar COVID-19-related clinical complications. Although patients with SUD presented to the hospital earlier in their disease course, their total hospital length of stay was ultimately similar to patients without SUD.

Insights such as these into the clinical complications and resource utilization patterns of patients with SUD and COVID-19 can help clinicians anticipate the trajectory of infection and healthcare needs in this vulnerable group.

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These results point away from SUD as an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19 and further suggest a focus on medical comorbidities to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. Additional studies are needed to further evaluate for differential outcomes in this high-risk population, particularly in an era of newer COVID-19-directed therapies.

Source-Eurekalert