Opioid prescribing after surgery remains the same for seniors, but doses are lower, study shows


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Though there was no lower within the variety of opioid prescriptions seniors obtain after surgical procedure, the doses of these prescriptions are decrease, in line with a research of greater than 1 / 4 million Canadian sufferers being introduced on the Anesthesiology 2022 annual assembly.

“Whereas it is excellent news that the doses in opioid prescriptions are being decreased, the truth that the precise variety of opioid prescriptions stuffed has remained the identical reveals there’s nonetheless a chance for enchancment,” mentioned Naheed Jivraj, MBBS, MS, FRCPC, lead creator of the research and a essential care medication fellow on the College of Toronto, Ontario. “That is significantly true for procedures related to low postoperative ache that may be successfully managed with non-opioid medicines comparable to acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAIDs).”

Whereas opioids will be an vital a part of ache administration after surgical procedure, limiting their use, together with by reducing the dose, is vital since they will trigger main unintended effects and result in habit, in addition to a doubtlessly lethal overdose.

To evaluate traits in filling ache prescriptions within the week after surgical procedure, the researchers studied the data of 278,366 sufferers representing all adults in Ontario older than 65 who had one in every of 14 surgical procedures between 2013 and 2019. The surgical procedures within the research included: thyroid removing, appendix removing, hernia restore, laparoscopic or open removing of the gallbladder, removing of the prostate, open-heart surgical procedure, laparoscopic or open colon removing, laparoscopic vaginal or belly hysterectomy, removing of the breast, hip substitute and knee substitute.

They recognized a rise in sufferers filling non-opioid prescriptions (e.g., acetaminophen or NSAID) from 9% in 2013 to twenty-eight% in 2019. They discovered most sufferers additionally continued to obtain a prescription that contained an opioid—76% in 2013 and 75% in 2019. Nonetheless, the dose of the opioid prescriptions decreased, from a mean of 317 MME (morphine milligram equal) in 2013 to a mean of 260 MME in 2019.

Most sufferers present process procedures comparable to removing of the appendix or thyroid can get ache reduction from acetaminophen or an NSAID; nevertheless, few sufferers who had these procedures stuffed prescriptions for these non-opioid alternate options, researchers famous.

“Our research highlights how ache administration practices are altering after surgical procedure,” mentioned Dr. Jivraj. “The rise in seniors filling non-opioid prescriptions and the decrease opioid dose might mirror the event of surgery-specific prescribing tips and the growing use of anesthesiologist-championed Enhanced Restoration After Surgical procedure protocols and different applications that concentrate on bettering affected person outcomes.”


Opioid prescriptions for pediatric sufferers following surgical procedures have dropped considerably


Supplied by
American Society of Anesthesiologists

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Opioid prescribing after surgical procedure stays the identical for seniors, however doses are decrease, research reveals (2022, October 22)
retrieved 22 October 2022
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