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Investigating Risk Factors For Pediatric Opioid Morbidity And Mortality, Lauren E. Kelly

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Young children are sometimes prescribed opioids and may be exposed to opioids in utero and through breast milk. Clinical and genetic factors create large inter- individual variability in opioid response and have been associated with life threatening and often fatal adverse drug reactions in young children. Genetic factors have been studied in adults but there is little clinical evidence in young children. The focus of this thesis is on three commonly prescribed opioids: codeine, morphine and methadone. The objective of this work was to investigate risk factors associated with opioid related morbidity and mortality in young children. Risk factors were …