Opioid use in the emergency department (ED) to treat migraine in youth is somewhat common, a new study found. Researchers analyzed data from 2010 - 2016 in the Center Health Facts electronic health record data warehouse to estimate the population likelihood of an opioid being used in the ED to treat a primary diagnosis of migraine in adolescents and young adults and to evaluate the extent to which this likelihood varies as a function of patient characteristics, encounter, and ED. Among the findings:

• 14,494 eligible ED encounters with unique patients were identified, of which 23% involved an opioid.
• Likelihood of being treated with opioids was significantly higher for patients who were older, female, white, and seen by a surgeon.
• Sites varied widely in percentage of encounters involving opioids.