This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Preoperative discussion of opiate prescription limitations reduced short-term postoperative opiate use
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Preoperatively discussing opiate prescription limitations with patients led to a lower rate of opiate use at the 6-week postoperative mark but had no effect on rates of longer-term use, according to study results.
Among all Utah residents with isolated operative musculoskeletal injury admitted to the orthopedic trauma service, one group of patients was instructed at the time of index that they would receive prescription opiates for a maximum of 6 weeks, whereas the remaining patients were not counseled preoperatively on duration of postoperative opiate use.
Main outcome measures included the presence and frequency of prescription opiate use before injury, cessation of opiate use by 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively and continuation of prescription opiates for longer than 12 weeks postoperatively.
Of the 613 patients who met inclusion criteria, those counseled preoperatively to stop opiate use by 6 weeks were significantly more likely to do so compared with those who did not receive counseling, according to the researchers.
Although this effect was no longer seen by 12 weeks and patients were just as likely to have stopped, the researchers estimated that 20% of patients would continue to take opiates beyond 12 weeks irrespective of preoperative counseling.
Disclosure: Higgins is on the board of directors for the Orthopaedic Trauma Association and received an honorarium from Smith & Nephew.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts