Use of Muscle Relaxants After Surgery in Traditional Medicare Part D Enrollees.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Surgeons have come under increased scrutiny for postoperative pain management, particularly for opioid prescribing. To decrease opioid use but still provide pain control, nonopioid medications such as muscle relaxants are being used, which can be harmful in older adults. However, the prevalence of muscle relaxant prescribing, trends in use over time, and risk of prolonged use are unknown.

Study design

Using a 20% representative Medicare sample, we conducted a retrospective analysis of muscle relaxant prescribing to patients ≥ 65 years of age. We merged patient data from Medicare Carrier, MedPAR, and Outpatient Files with Medicare Part D for the years 2013-2018. A total of 14 surgical procedures were included to represent a wide range of anatomic regions and specia

SUBMITTER: Bongiovanni T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11249446 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature