In a study of 176 mechanically ventilated patients, researchers found that patients who were taking buprenorphine/naloxone before they were admitted to the hospital had similar opioid requirements during ventilation as those who had never taken opioids.

Here’s what the study showed:

Similar Opioid Use: Patients on buprenorphine/naloxone needed about the same amount of opioids per hour as patients who were considered “opioid-naïve” (40.8 μg vs. 31.7 μg).

Lower Opioid Use than Opioid-Tolerant Patients: The study also found that patients on buprenorphine/naloxone needed significantly less pain medication than patients who were considered opioid-tolerant. In fact, opioid-tolerant patients required 50% more opioids per hour to manage their pain.

Pain and Sedation Control: All groups achieved similar pain control. However, patients on buprenorphine/naloxone and opioid-naïve patients spent more time within their target sedation range compared to opioid-tolerant patients.

Resuming Buprenorphine: The study noted that it was uncommon for patients to resume their buprenorphine/naloxone while they were still on the ventilator.

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