Pediatric patients used fewer narcotic doses than prescribed after orthopedic surgery
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SAN DIEGO — Pediatric patients used significantly fewer narcotic doses after common orthopedic surgeries than the quantities prescribed, according to results presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.
S. Clifton Willimon, MD, and colleagues collected data on use of narcotics and OTC medications, as well as associated pain scores among 342 child and adolescent patients who underwent one of seven common pediatric orthopedic procedures. These procedures included posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, epiphysiodesis, closed reduction and percutaneous pinning of supracondylar humerus fracture, ACL reconstruction, knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroscopy for labral repair and hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement.
Of the 9,867 narcotic doses prescribed, Willimon noted 44% of the narcotic doses were consumed while 56% of the narcotic doses remained unused.
“Patients typically used narcotic medications for 3 to 5 days after surgery,” Willimon, a sports medicine and orthopedic surgeon at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, told Healio Orthopedics.
According to Willimon, patients who used NSAIDs had a significant reduction in the total number of narcotic doses consumed. He added patient education decreased the duration of narcotic use.
“The second phase of the study is to provide a systematic education approach for patients and families, as well as the physicians taking care of the patients, and the nursing staff as well,” Willimon said. “It is a team effort in making sure we are all on the same page and understand how to adequately use the medications, as well as dispose of them.”
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Willimon SC, et al. Paper 489. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting. Aug. 31- Sept. 3, 2021; San Diego.
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