Our pediatric Opioid Prescribing Recommendations are designed for pediatric patients with no preoperative opioid use and are not intended for patients taking opioids preoperatively.
OPEN developed these recommendations for opioid prescribing after pediatric surgery (<18 years old) based on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) on opioid consumption, pain control and patient satisfaction, published studies, and expert consensus. Pain Score was rated on a scale of 1 (no pain) to 5 (worst possible pain). Satisfaction with Pain Management was rated on a scale of 1 (not at all satisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).
When an opioid is needed after surgery, use the OPEN prescribing recommendations as the foundation for a shared decision-making conversation with the patient to determine the best prescription size.
It’s important to note that these are not rigid rules that must be adhered to, but rather recommendations. Starting form a standardized approach and then allowing for individualization helps promote both equity and patient-centeredness.
