Publications
OPEN examines data, clinical practices and strategies to support better pain management, opioid stewardship, policy, treatment and care.
Persistent Opioid Use Among Pediatric Patients After Surgery
Harbaugh CM, Lee JS, Hu HM, et al. Persistent Opioid Use Among Pediatric Patients After Surgery. Pediatrics. 2018;141(1):e20172439. doi:10.1542/peds.2017-2439- Rates of new persistent opioid use among pediatric patients are comparable to those for adults, with 4.8% of patients refilling opioid prescriptions between 3 and 6 months after surgery.
- Risk factors for new persistent opioid use include type of surgical procedure and patient traits such as older age, female sex, previous substance use disorder, chronic pain, and preoperative opioid fill.
- Understanding the risks contributing to new persistent opioid use among adolescents and young adults may help clinicians to minimize opioid exposure and reduce risk for later misuse.
New Persistent Opioid Use After Minor and Major Surgical Procedures in US Adults
Brummett CM, Waljee JF, Goesling J, et al. New Persistent Opioid Use After Minor and Major Surgical Procedures in US Adults. JAMA Surg. 2017;152(6):e170504. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2017.0504- New persistent opioid use after surgery is common, with approximately 6% of patients who were not on opioids before surgery continuing to use opioids more than 3 months after surgery.
- Patients continue to use their opioids for reasons other than the pain from surgery.
- New persistent opioid use after surgery is an underappreciated surgical complication that warrants increased attention.