The Safety of Opioid Use in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

This session will evaluate the safety of opioid therapy among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The session will cover existing safety and effectiveness evidence from clinical trials, and present the latest data from observational studies. The presentation will include a discussion of the strengths and disadvantages of observational study designs along with implications for future practice.

Approximately 15.7 million Americans (6.4%) currently are diagnosed with COPD. Patients with COPD are prone to repeated exacerbations, which affect lung functioning, leading to increased risk for death, increased health care use and costs, and reduced quality of life. Current Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines for the treatment of COPD recommend the use of opioids for the amelioration of breathlessness or dyspnea among patients with COPD but acknowledges the lack of adequate evidence supporting such treatment decisions. Existing clinical trials examining the effect of opioid use in severe COPD were conducted in small populations and either do not examine or do not find any concerning adverse effects. Rong et al., 2019 helps cover some of these gaps in knowledge.