Kratom exposures among older adults reported to U.S. poison centers, 2014–2019

• Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) 2021-08, Vol.69 (8), p.2176-2184
• Main Authors: Graves, Janessa M., Dilley, Julia A., Terpak, Lucia, Brooks‐Russell, Ashley, Whitehill, Jennifer M., Klein, Tracy A., Liebelt, Erica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Drug interaction; Epidemiology; exposures; kratom; Older people; Opioids; Pain; poison center; substance
• ISSN: 0002-8614; 1532-5415
• DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17326

Background In recent years, use of the herbal supplement kratom has increased in the United States. The reasons for use include pain relief, particularly as a substitute for opioids. Objectives To describe epidemiologic trends in kratom‐related exposures among older adults reported to U.S. poison centers. Design Retrospective analysis of American Association of Poison Control Center's National Poison Data System (NPDS). Setting Data from all U.S. poison centers from 2014 to 2019 were examined. Participants Kratom exposure cases involving adults aged 18 and older. Kratom cases were identified by product and NPDS generic codes. Non‐human and information‐only calls were excluded. Data were examined for all calls for exposures among adults, with a focus on older adults aged 60–69 years and above 70 years. Measurements Descriptive analyses were used to characterize individual demographic, exposure information, clinical effects, and medical outcomes associated with kratom exposures among older adults. Comparisons across age groups (18–59, 60–69, and 70+ years) were made using Fisher's exact tests. Results Among 3484 kratom‐related exposures reported between 2014 and 2019, 4.6% (n = 162) were among adults over 60 years. The number of kratom‐related exposures increased over time. Most cases originated with calls from healthcare facilities (81.1%) and involved kratom as a single ingestant (63.0%). The reason for most ingestions was intentional (74.5%). One in five exposures among adults aged 70 and older involved an adverse reaction (e.g., drug interaction; 21.9%), compared with 12.3% among ages 60–69 and 9.6% among ages 18–59 years. Neurological and cardiovascular clinical effects were observed. Twenty‐three deaths were observed among older adults. Conclusion Healthcare providers and older adult patients should be aware of the potential risks of kratom use, including medication interactions and falls. When reviewing medication lists, providers should query this population for all medications and substances being used, especially in people being treated for pain.