Postoperative Opioid Consumption After Discharge
Author Information
Author(s): Kulkarni Ashwin J. BS, Gunaseelan Vidhya MBA, MS, MHA, Brummett Chad M. MD, Waljee Jennifer MD, MPH, MSc, Englesbe Michael MD, Bicket Mark C. MD, PhD
Primary Institution: University of Michigan
Hypothesis
What is the impact of updated opioid prescribing guidelines on postoperative opioid consumption?
Conclusion
Patient-reported opioid consumption decreased between 2018 and 2021, leading to new prescribing guidelines for several surgical procedures.
Supporting Evidence
- Patient-reported opioid consumption decreased for most procedures between 2018 and 2021.
- New guidelines were established for 5 additional surgical procedures.
- Most procedures had upper-limit guidelines of 10 pills or less.
Takeaway
Doctors are giving fewer pain pills to patients after surgery, and patients are using less of them, which is good for safety.
Methodology
Data from the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative registry was analyzed for opioid-naive adult patients undergoing surgery from January 1, 2018, to October 31, 2021.
Potential Biases
Potential social desirability and recall bias in patient-reported consumption data.
Limitations
The study relied on patient-reported data, which may be subject to bias, and focused only on opioid-naive patients.
Participant Demographics
Average age 53.8 years, 56.3% female, 19.1% non-White, 43.9% with public insurance.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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