Less is more: Postoperative pain management using restrictive opioid protocols in all surgical services in a comprehensive cancer center.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 103-103
Author(s):  
Jason Ricciuti ◽  
Steven Gallo ◽  
Deanna Argentieri ◽  
Paul Visco ◽  
Kristopher Attwood ◽  
...  

103 Background: Opioids are routinely given for postoperative pain management with limited evidence on the amount needed to be dispensed. Prescribed opioids increase the risk of chronic use, abuse, and diversion, which contribute to the opioid epidemic. We sought to demonstrate that postsurgical acute pain can be effectively managed across different surgical specialties with a markedly reduced number of opioids. Methods: A prospective case-control study of restrictive opioid prescription protocol (ROPP) was implemented in all surgical services from February 2019 through July 2019 at a tertiary comprehensive cancer center for all patients undergoing a surgery for which opioids would be routinely prescribed at discharge (n = 2,015). Data from surgeries performed by the same services from August 2018 through January 2019 were used for comparison (n = 2,051). At discharge, patients did not routinely receive opioids unless they had a maximally invasive procedure or if they required multiple doses of opioids during hospitalization (maximum 3-day supply). Compliance with the protocol was tracked by pharmacists daily. Patient demographics and surgical details were collected. State-run opioid prescription database was used to determine the number of opioids prescribed to all surgical patients within a 120-day surgical window. Validated patient satisfaction surveys were used at postoperative visits to assess patient experience. Results: After implementation of the ROPP, 45% less opioids were prescribed after surgery for all participating patients (323,674 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) vs 179,458 MME, p < 0.001). The majority of services complied with the ROPP in more than 95% of cases. There was no difference in postsurgical pain intensity between cohorts. Patients in the ROPP cohort had less refill requests compared to the control group (20.9% vs 17.9%, p value = 0.016). Surveys were completed by 338 patients in the control group (16.5%) and 360 in the ROPP group (17.9%). There was no significant difference in patient reported satisfaction with postoperative pain control or on the impact of pain on daily activities between the cohorts. Conclusions: Implementation of a ROPP by multiple surgical services at a tertiary cancer center was feasible and resulted in substantial decrease in the number of opioids prescribed while not compromising patient experience. Patients did not require more prescription refills despite being provided no opioids or a limited supply. This study provides evidence to support reducing the number of opioids routinely prescribed after surgery.[Table: see text]

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerwyn Jones ◽  
Laurie Engler ◽  
Elizabeth Fonte ◽  
Ibrahim Farid ◽  
Michael T. Bigham

OBJECTIVES Our goal with this initiative was to reduce discharge opioid prescriptions while maintaining optimal pain management through the use of standardized pain prescribing guidelines for pediatric patients after orthopedic surgical procedures. METHODS Through analysis of established yet inconsistent prescribing practices, we created a 4-tiered guideline for pediatric orthopedic postoperative pain management prescription ordering. Following the Model for Improvement methodology including iterative plan-do-study-act cycles, the team created an electronic medical record order set to be used at discharge from the hospital. The provider compliance with this order set was monitored and analyzed over time by using provider-level and aggregate control charts. A secondary measure of opioid prescriptions (morphine milligram Eq [MME] dosage per patient) was tracked over time. The balancing measure was the analysis of unanticipated opioid prescription refills. RESULTS Greater than 90% compliance with the guidelines was achieved and sustained for 20 months. This resulted in a 54% reduction in opioids prescribed during the improvement period (baseline = 71 MME per patient; postintervention = 33 MME per patient) and has been sustained for 12 months. The percentage of unanticipated opioid prescription refills did not significantly change from the period before the institution of the guidelines and after institution of the guidelines (2017 = 3%; 2019 = 3%). CONCLUSIONS The creation of these guidelines has led to a significant reduction in the number of opioids prescribed while maintaining effective postoperative pain management.


2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 126-129
Author(s):  
Darius Trepenaitis ◽  
Tadas Česnaitis ◽  
Andrius Macas

Background. Pain is the most common complication in the postoperative period. If adequate treatment is not taken, it can transform to chronic pain. Postoperative pain brings a lot of social, psychological and financial problems for patients and their families. Materials and methods. This prospective study included 30 patients after laparatomic liver resection operation. Patients were randomly assign­ ed to Infiltrated or Control groups. An infiltration of 40 ml levobupivacaine 0.25% solution to the operation cut edges was performed to the Infiltrated group. The pain was evaluated using the numerical rating scale after 2, 5, 12, 24, 48 hours and 1 month after the operation. Our aim was to determine the effect of local anesthesia in the operation wound. The total usage of morphine and any side effects were registered. Results. A statistically significant reduction in pain was observed in the Infiltrated group in all evaluation periods. Opioids usage was higher in the Control group almost by 4 times and adverse effects were 9 to 1 compared to the Infiltrated group. Conclusions. Surgical wound infiltration with local anesthetic for postoperative pain management after liver resection operations has a positive effect on postoperative pain reduction and leads to lesser usage of opioid analgetics. As a result, there is a less chance of opioids induced adverse effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Richard Gordon-Williams ◽  
Andreia Trigo ◽  
Paul Bassett ◽  
Amanda Williams ◽  
Stephen Cone ◽  
...  

Background. Most patients have moderate or severe pain after surgery. Opioids are the cornerstone of treating severe pain after surgery but cause problems when continued long after discharge. We investigated the efficacy of multifunction pain management software (MServ) in improving postoperative pain control and reducing opioid prescription at discharge. Methods. We recruited 234 patients to a prospective cohort study into sequential groups in a nonrandomised manner, one day after major thoracic or urological surgery. Group 1 received standard care (SC, n = 102), group 2 were given a multifunctional device that fed back to the nursing staff alone (DN, n = 66), and group 3 were given the same device that fed back to both the nursing staff and the acute pain team (DNPT, n = 66). Patient-reported pain scores at 24 and 48 hours and patient-reported time in severe pain, medications, and satisfaction were recorded on trial discharge. Findings. Odds of having poor pain control (>1 on 0–4 pain scale) were calculated between standard care (SC) and device groups (DN and DNPT). Patients with a device were significantly less likely to have poor pain control at 24 hours (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.25, 0.81) and to report time in severe pain at 48 hours (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.47–0.80). Patients with a device were three times less likely to be prescribed strong opioids on discharge (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.95). Interpretation. Using an mHealth device designed for pain management, rather than standard care, reduced the incidence of poor pain control in the postoperative period and reduced opioid prescription on discharge from hospital.


2010 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Y. Rahimi ◽  
Cargill H. Alleyne ◽  
Eric Vernier ◽  
Mark R. Witcher ◽  
John R. Vender

Object Patients undergoing craniotomies have traditionally received opiates with acetaminophen for the management of their postoperative pain. The use of narcotic pain medications can be costly, decrease rates of early postoperative ambulation, lengthen hospital stays, and alter a patient's neurological examination. The use of alternative pain medications such as tramadol may benefit patients by resolving many of these issues. Methods The authors conducted a randomized, blinded prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of alternative pain management strategies for patients following craniotomies. Fifty patients were randomly assigned either to a control group who received narcotics and acetaminophen alone or an experimental group who received tramadol in addition to narcotic pain medications (25 patients assigned to each group). Results The control group was noted to have statistically significant higher visual analog scale pain scores, an increased length of hospital stay, and increased narcotic use compared with the tramadol group. The narcotics and acetaminophen group also had increased hospitalization costs when compared with the tramadol group. Conclusions The use of scheduled atypical analgesics such as tramadol in addition to narcotics with acetaminophen for the management of postoperative pain after craniotomy may provide better pain control, decrease the side effects associated with narcotic pain medications, encourage earlier postoperative ambulation, and reduce total hospitalization costs.


2013 ◽  
pp. 1157
Author(s):  
Zhen Zhang ◽  
Weiran Liu ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Stephanie Woo ◽  
Anliu Tang ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Şeyma Ünal ◽  
Semih Başkan ◽  
Betül GÜVEN AYTAÇ ◽  
İsmail Aytaç

The Aim: This prospective, randomised controlled study aimed to investigate the efficacy and respiratory effects of postoperative pain management with erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy surgery. Methods: A total of 60 ASA I-II patients aged 18–65 years, scheduled to undergo percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) were included. Patients were randomized either to the ESPB or control group. Ultrasound-guided ESPB with 15mL 0.5% bupivacaine at the T11 level was performed preoperatively using the in-plane technique in the ESP group. In both groups, 1gr of intravenous paracetamol was administered intraoperatively. Postoperative pain and agitation was evaluated using VAS, Dynamic VAS at 0, 6 and 24 hours and the Riker sedation-agitation scale at 0th Hours after surgery. Peak expiratory flow rate(PEFR) and SPO2 were measured in preoperative examination and at the 0th, 6th, 24th hours postoperatively. In the postoperative period, intravenous tramadol (100mg) was administered as a rescue analgesic when VAS ≥ 4. Time and number of the rescue analgesias, mobilization time and length of hospital stay were also recorded and analyzed. Results: A significantly lower VAS and DVAS were observed at 0th, 6th, 24th hours in the ESPB group (p < 0.05 for each timepoint). Also number of and time to rescue analgesia decreased in the ESPB group (p< 0.05 and 0.01 respectively). Postoperative/preoperative PEFR ratio was lower and there were more agitated patients in control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: ESPB may have additional clinical advantages while providing effective analgesia in patients who underwent PCNL comparing to intravenous analgesia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-28
Author(s):  
Bibhuti Nath Mishra ◽  
Joydeep Banerjee Chowdhury ◽  
Rajeev Raman ◽  
Dipmalya Chakraborty ◽  
Tanmoy Karmakar

Background: Different treatment regimens of analgesia, nerve blocks and epidurals are used for pain relief in Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). Local infiltration analgesia (LIA) is one of the modalities in which a cocktail combination of different medicines is infiltrated locally into the capsule, surrounding tissues or intraarticular joint space. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of periarticular injection of combination drugs (Bupivacaine, Ketorolac and Morphine) during TKA for postoperative pain management. Methods: Total of 150 patients who underwent primary unilateral TKA were randomly categorized into 2 groups (75 each). Group A (control group) didn’t receive intraoperative periarticular injection but Group-B received the intraoperative injection of combined local analgesics and anaesthetics (Bupivacaine, Ketorolac and Morphine). Pain following surgery at 0, 1, and 2 postoperative days were recorded with visual analogue scale (VAS) whereas Knee Society Score was used to evaluate the pain and function pre-operative and 3 months’ post-operative. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software. Results: Patients receiving periarticular infiltration of combination drugs intraoperatively had lower VAS for postoperative pain (p < 0.001) and this group also showed reduced need of analgesia postoperatively. Conclusions: Periarticular infiltration of knee during Total Knee Arthroplasty is effective in management of postoperative pain Keywords: Periarticular; Total Knee Arthroplasty; combination drugs; postoperative pain


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-107
Author(s):  
Nhi Ho, MD ◽  
Anjali A. Dixit, MD, MPH ◽  
Christina Inglis-Arkell, MD ◽  
Solmaz P. Manuel, MD

Objective: This study sought to determine the rate at which nonopioid analgesics were utilized in postoperative pain management plans after pediatric ambulatory surgery in patients who were also prescribed postoperative opioids.Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.Participants: Patients ≤ 21 years old who were prescribed opioid medications after undergoing ambulatory surgery at a tertiary-care medical center. Methods: Postoperative day 1 (POD1) opioid prescription and use survey data along with electronic medical record data were extracted and analyzed for patients meeting inclusion criteria between April 2017 and December 2017. Main outcome measure: Recommendation to take nonopioid analgesics after discharge.Results: A total of 849 (63.2 percent) patients responded to the survey and 275 (32.4 percent) of these cases were prescribed postoperative opioids. Of the 273 cases included in this study, 137 (50.2 percent) received recommendations to take at least one nonopioid analgesic as well, and 164 (60.1 percent) reported using their prescribed opioids on POD1. Opioid use did not vary significantly with nonopioid analgesic recommendations. There was significant variability in opioid and nonopioid analgesic prescribing and recommendation patterns across surgical subspecialties.Conclusions: There was limited use of nonopioid analgesics in postoperative pain management plans after pediatric ambulatory surgery. This leaves many patients with only opioid-based agents as the first-line medication for postoperative pain management. These findings highlight an opportunity to educate prescribers and patients on the importance of step-wise multimodal analgesic plans.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 247301141877594
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Hearty ◽  
Paul Butler ◽  
John Anderson ◽  
Donald Bohay

Background: The misuse and abuse of opioid pain medications have become a public health crisis. Because orthopedic surgeons are the third highest prescribers of opioids, understanding their postoperative pain medication prescribing practices is key to solving the opioid crisis. To this end, we conducted a study of the variability in orthopedic foot and ankle surgery postoperative opioid prescribing practice patterns. Methods: Three hundred fifty orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons were contacted; respondents completed a survey with 4 common patient scenarios and surgical procedures followed by questions regarding typical postoperative pain medication prescriptions. The scenarios ranged from minimally painful procedures to those that would be expected to be significantly more painful. Summaries were calculated as percentages and chi-square or Fisher exact tests were used to compare survey responses between groups stratified by years in practice and type of practice. Results: Sixty-four surgeons responded to the survey (92.8% male), 31% were in practice less than 5 years, 34% 6 to 15 years and 34% more than 15 years. For each scenario, there was variation in the type of pain medication prescribed ( scenario 1: 17% 5 mg hydrocodone, 22% 10 mg hydrocodone, 52% oxycodone, and 3% oxycodone sustained release [SR]; scenario 2: 15% 5 mg hydrocodone, 13% 10 mg hydrocodone, 58% oxycodone, and 9% oxycodone SR; scenario 3: 11% 5 mg hydrocodone, 13% 10 mg hydrocodone, 56% oxycodone, and 14.1% oxycodone SR; scenario 4: 3% 5 mg hydrocodone, 5% 10 mg hydrocodone, 44% oxycodone, and 45% oxycodone SR) and the number of pills dispensed. Use of multimodal pain management was variable but most physicians use regional nerve blocks for each scenario (76%, 87%, 69%, 94%). Less experienced surgeons (less than 5 years in practice) supplement with tramadol more for scenario 1 ( P = .034) as well as use regional nerve blocks for scenario 2 ( P = .039) more than experienced surgeons (more than 15 years in practice). Conclusion: It is evident that variation exists in narcotic prescription practices for postoperative pain management by orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons. With new AAOS guidelines, it is important to try to create some standardization in opioid prescription protocols.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B Ravindhran ◽  
Hema AM ◽  
M Vijaykumar

Abstract Introduction Adequate post-operative analgesia is important for recovery, early rehabilitation and patient satisfaction. We aimed to prove that patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer who receive cryotherapy via frozen gel-packs in the immediate postoperative period would report lower pain, require lesser narcotics and pain medication. Method This prospective randomized study was conducted at our tertiary care referral centre in South India. The pre-operative characteristics, intra-operative variables and post-operative outcomes were compared between two sets of matched cases and controls. Cryotherapy was delivered via frozen gel-packs for 12 hours immediately following surgery. Pain relief was assessed with the visual analog pain scale(VAS). Comparisons between groups were measured by the chi-square test, Fischer's-exact test, Independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U test as appropriate. Result 81 patients were included in the study( Study-group=41 and control-group=40). For the primary outcome, mean postoperative pain score on postoperative days(PODs) 1(5.13±0.648 vs. 4.44±.502; t (79) = 5.3; p&lt;0.001) and POD 5(4.1±0.9 vs. 3.29±.642; t (79)=3.26; p&lt;0.001) were significantly lower in the cryotherapy group. The overall post-operative narcotic requirement(morphine equivalence) was reduced in the cryotherapy group(61.32±9.4 vs 55.8±11; t(79) = 2.421; p=0.018). The overall paracetamol requirement(grams) was also reduced in the cryotherapy group(2.1±.38 vs 1.9±.36; t(79) = 2.66; p=0.009). No significant difference was seen in the NSAID use between the groups. The cryotherapy group also demonstrated earlier functional recovery and lesser shoulder and arm stiffness(p=0.015). Conclusion Cryotherapy is a simple, cost-effective adjuvant to standard postoperative pain management which reduces pain, narcotics and promotes early rehabilitation. Take-home message Ice packs are a simple, cost-effective adjuvant to standard postoperative pain management which reduces pain, narcotic use and promotes early rehabilitation.


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