Ankle Sprain Leads to Extended Opioid Use for Some, Study Finds

Twelve percent of patients diagnosed with an ankle sprain filled an opioid prescription within seven days, including 8.3% of patients who hadn’t taken an opioid during the past year, according to a study published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine. And among those who had been opioid-free over the past year but filled a prescription after an ankle sprain, 8.4% were still using opioids at 91 to 180 days after the injury, the study found. In 62% of cases, the opioid prescribed was hydrocodone, followed by tramadol at 16% and oxycodone at 12%. The study, by researchers at the...