Emergency Calls For Opioid Exposures Rise Among Middle-school Aged Children

Years aft nan opioid pandemic began successful nan mid-1990s, emergency aesculapian services are seeing increases successful emergency calls for pre-teens and adolescents, according to investigation presented during nan American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition astatine nan Colorado Convention Center from Sept. 26-30.

The research, "EMS Calls for Pediatric Patients Ages 11-18 years pinch Opioid Exposures utilizing NEMSIS data," examined calls for services owed to suspected pediatric opioid vulnerability reported to nan National Emergency Medical Services Information System, which tracks emergency aesculapian work information from crossed nan United States. Authors reviewed nan information from 2019 done 2023, breaking it down into 2 categories: mediate schoolhouse aged children and precocious schoolhouse aged teens.

Opioid vulnerability calls accrued nationally each twelvemonth of nan study for middle-school aged children, rising from 255 calls successful 2019 to 553 successful 2023. Teenagers fared somewhat amended pinch drops successful emergency opioid vulnerability calls aft 2022.

Sonia Lam, DO and pediatric emergency medicine fellow, said nan caller opioid vulnerability trends are causing interest among wellness professionals.

Opioid exposures successful middle- and-high schoolhouse aged students are a increasing nationalist wellness concern. The aesculapian organization and legislative authorities person an opportunity and responsibility to enact policies to alteration consequence to these susceptible kids."

Dr. Sonia Lam, DO, pediatric emergency medicine fellow, research author 

Dr. Lam said that demographics varied by group, pinch females outnumbering males successful nan mediate schoolhouse property group, while nan reverse shape was existent for nan older group. Younger children besides thin to coming pinch importantly higher levels of acuity compared to older children

Authors propose that targeted interventions for prevention of supplier usage disorders successful children should beryllium informed by really usage varies pinch children's property and sex.

The authors did not person financial support for this research.

Dr. Lam is scheduled to coming nan research, which is below, from 2:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. MDT connected Friday, Sept. 26, successful nan Colorado Convention Center, Meeting Room 108/110/112. To petition an question and reply pinch nan authors, interaction Brianna Mortensen astatine [email protected].