Project description:ImportanceNew persistent opioid use after surgery is contributing to the opioid crisis affecting the US, and interventions to limit postoperative opioid prescriptions have been proposed to mitigate the opioid-related health care burden. Limited information is available regarding the incidence of new persistent use after surgery in other countries.ObjectiveTo determine the incidence of new persistent opioid use and to evaluate factors associated with its risk after surgery in Austria.Design, setting, and participantsThis retrospective, population-based cohort study used administrative data from the national Austrian social insurance database for adult patients undergoing surgery between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021. Exclusion criteria were incomplete exposure or outcome data, early postoperative death, and ongoing opioid use at the time of surgery. Data were analyzed from September 2023 to August 2024.ExposuresGeneral, gynecological, urological, orthopedic, and cardiac surgery.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary study outcome was the incidence of new persistent opioid use up to 6 months after surgery in the Austrian population; the factors associated with use, including patient factors and surgical procedures, were analyzed. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between the primary outcome and the independent variables after controlling for multicollinearity.ResultsAmong 559 096 patients undergoing 642 857 surgical procedures (median [IQR] age, 60 [48-71] years; 318 391 male patients [49.5%]), new persistent opioid use was documented in 10 810 cases (1.7%) overall, and the rates ranged from 0.3% for appendectomy (130 cases per 40 565 procedures) to 0.7% for abdominal surgery (2198 cases per 335 034 procedures) to 6.8% for spinal surgery (3495 cases per 51 348 procedures). The median (IQR) daily opioid dose in oral morphine equivalents was 7.4 (4.1-14.9) mg. Specific procedures, including spinal surgery (odds ratio [OR], 5.36; 95% CI, 5.04-5.69) and arthroplasty (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.48-1.67), and patient characteristics, such as previous opioid use that was discontinued before surgery (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 2.93-3.19) and the frequency of previously filled opioid prescriptions (OR, 16.49; 95% CI, 13.63-19.95), were associated with new persistent opioid use.Conclusions and relevanceIn Austria, the incidence of new persistent opioid use after surgery is lower than that in North America, but the factors associated with risk are similar. These findings suggest the need for studies comparing pain management strategies, as well as systemic and organizational factors, that contribute to the development of new persistent opioid use after surgery in North American and European health care systems, where less evidence about new persistent opioid use has been available.
Project description:PurposeTo determine the rate and risk factors for new persistent opioid use after ophthalmic surgery in the United States.DesignRetrospective claims-based cohort analysis.ParticipantsOpioid-naive patients 13 years of age and older who underwent incisional ophthalmic surgery between January 1, 2012, and June 30, 2017, and were included in Optum's de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart database.MethodsNew persistent opioid use was defined as filling an opioid prescription in the 90-day and the 91- to 180-day periods after the surgical procedure. The outcome variable was an initial perioperative opioid prescription fill. Rates of new persistent opioid use were calculated, and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify variables increasing the risk of new persistent use and refill of an opioid prescription after the initial perioperative prescription in first 30 days.Main outcome measuresNew persistent opioid use and refill.ResultsA total of 327 379 opioid-naive patients (mean age, 67 years [standard deviation, 16 years]; 178 067 women [54.4%]) who underwent ophthalmic surgery were examined. Among these patients, 14 841 (4.5%) had an initial perioperative opioid fill. The rate of new persistent opioid use was 3.4% (498 of 14 841 patients) compared with 0.6% (1833 of 312 538 patients) in patients who did not have an initial perioperative opioid fill. After adjusting for patient characteristics, initial perioperative opioid fill was associated independently with increased odds of new persistent use (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 6.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.57-6.91; P < 0.001). Among patients who had filled an initial perioperative prescription, a prescription size of 150 morphine milligram equivalents or more was associated with an increased odds of refill (adjusted OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.58-2.22; P < 0.001).ConclusionsExposure to opioids in the perioperative period is associated with new persistent use in patients who were previously opioid-naive. This suggests that exposure to opioids is an independent risk factor for persistent use in patients undergoing incisional ophthalmic surgery. Surgeons should be aware of those risks to identify at-risk patients given the current national opioid crisis and to minimize prescribing opioids when possible.
Project description:BackgroundThe incidence and financial impact of persistent opioid use (POU) after open aortic surgery is undefined.MethodsInsurance claim data from opioid-naïve patients who underwent aortic root replacement, ascending aortic replacement, or transverse arch replacement from 2011 to 2017 were evaluated. POU was defined as filling an opioid prescription in the perioperative period and between 90 and 180 days postoperatively. Postoperative opioid prescriptions, emergency department visits, readmissions, and health care costs were quantified. Multivariable logistic regression identified risk factors for POU, and quantile regression quantified the impact of POU on postoperative health care costs.ResultsAmong 3240 opioid-naïve patients undergoing open aortic surgery, 169 patients (5.2%) had POU. In the univariate analysis, patients with POU were prescribed more perioperative opioids (375 vs 225 morphine milligram equivalents, P < .001), had more emergency department visits (45.6% vs 25.4%, P < .001), and had significantly higher health care payments in the 6 months postoperatively ($10,947 vs $7223, P < .001). Independent risk factors for POU in the multivariable logistic regression included preoperative nicotine use and more opioids in the first perioperative prescription (all P < .05). After risk adjustment, POU was associated with a $2439 increase in total health care costs in the 6 months postoperatively.ConclusionsPOU is a challenge after open aortic operations and can have longer-term impacts on health care payments and emergency department visits in the 6 months after surgery. Strategies to reduce outpatient opioid use after aortic surgery should be encouraged when feasible.
Project description:PurposePersistent opioid use is one of the most common post-operative complications. Identification of at-risk patients pre-operatively is key to reducing post-operative opioid use. We sought to develop a predictive model for persistent post-operative opioid used and to determine if geographic factors from community databases improve model prediction based solely on electronic health records (EHRs) and claims data.MethodsEHR and claims data for 4,116 opioid-naïve surgical patients older than 18 in North Carolina were linked with census tract-level unemployment data from the American Community Survey and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on opioid prescriptions and deaths attributed to drug poisoning. Primary outcome was new persistent opioid use and covariates included patient factors from EHR, claims data, and geographic factors. Multivariable logistic regression models of potential risk factors were evaluated.Results6.0% of patients developed new persistent opioid use. Associated risk factors based on multivariable logistic regressions include age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00, 1.16), back and neck pain (1.82; 1.39, 2.39), joint disorders (1.58; 1.18, 2.11), mood disorders (1.71; 1.28, 2.28), opioid retail prescription (1.04; 1.00, 1.07) and drug poisoning rates (1.33; 1.09, 1.62). On Monte-Carlo cross-validation, the addition of geographic factors to EHRs and claims may modestly improve prediction performance (area under the curve, AUC) of logistic regression models compared to those based on EHRs and claims data (AUC 0.667 (95% CI 0.619, 0.717) vs AUC 0.653 (0.600, 0.706)).ConclusionsCo-morbidities and area-based factors are predictive of new persistent post-operative opioid use. As the addition of geographic-based factors did not significantly improve performance of multivariable logistic regression, larger samples are needed to fully differentiate models.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44254-024-00083-1.
Project description:ObjectiveWe sought to describe the differences in health care spending and utilization among patients who develop persistent postoperative opioid use.Summary of background dataAlthough persistent opioid use following surgery has garnered concern, its impact on health care costs and utilization remains unknown.MethodsWe examined insurance claims among 133,439 opioid-naive adults undergoing surgery. Outcomes included 6-month postoperative health care spending; proportion of spending attributable to admission, readmission, ambulatory or emergency care; monthly spending 6 months before and following surgery. We defined persistent opioid use as continued opioid fills beyond 3 months postoperatively. We used linear regression to estimate outcomes adjusting for clinical covariates.ResultsIn this cohort, 8103 patients developed persistent opioid use. For patients who underwent inpatient procedures, new persistent opioid use was associated with health care spending (+$2700 per patient, P < 0.001) compared with patients who did not develop new persistent use. For patients who underwent outpatient procedures, new persistent opioid use was similarly correlated with higher health care spending (+$1500 per patient, P < 0.001) compared with patients who did not develop new persistent use. Patients without persistent opioid use returned to baseline health care spending within 6 months, regardless of other complications. However, patients with persistent opioid use had sustained increases in spending by approximately $200 per month.ConclusionUnlike other postoperative complications, persistent opioid use is associated with sustained increases in spending due to greater readmissions and ambulatory care visits. Early identification of patients vulnerable to persistent use may enhance the value of surgical care.
Project description:IntroductionOpioid use has increased globally for the management of chronic non-cancer-related pain. There are concerns regarding the misuse of opioids leading to persistent opioid use and subsequent hospitalisation and deaths in developed countries. Hospital admissions related to surgery or trauma have been identified as contributing to the increasing opioid use internationally. There are minimal data on persistent opioid use and opioid-related harm in New Zealand (NZ), and how hospital admission for surgery or trauma contributes to this. We aim to describe rates and identify predictors of persistent opioid use among opioid-naïve individuals following hospital discharge for surgery or trauma.Methods and analysisThis is a population-based, retrospective cohort study using linked data from national health administrative databases for opioid-naïve patients who have had surgery or trauma in NZ between January 2006 and December 2019. Linked data will be used to identify variables of interest including all types of hospital surgeries in NZ, all trauma hospital admissions, opioid dispensing, comorbidities and sociodemographic variables. The primary outcome of this study will be the prevalence of persistent opioid use. Secondary outcomes will include mortality, opioid-related harms and hospitalisation. We will compare the secondary outcomes between persistent and non-persistent opioid user groups. To compute rates, we will divide the total number of outcome events by total follow-up time. Multivariable logistic regression will be used to identify predictors of persistent opioid use. Multivariable Cox regression models will be used to estimate the risk of opioid-related harms and hospitalisation as well as all-cause mortality among the study cohort in a year following hospital discharge for surgery or trauma.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Auckland Health Research Ethics Committee (AHREC- AH1159). Results will be reported in accordance with the Reporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely collected health data statement (RECORD).
Project description:BackgroundNew persistent opioid use occurs in 3% to 14% of patients after elective surgery, but is poorly described after cardiothoracic surgery. We examined the association of prescription size with new persistent opioid use after cardiothoracic surgery.MethodsOpioid-naive Medicare patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery between 2009 and 2015 were identified. Patients who filled an opioid prescription between 30 days before surgery and 14 days after discharge and with continuous Medicare enrollment 12 months before and 6 months after surgery were selected (n = 24,549). New persistent use was defined as continued prescription fills 91 to 180 days after surgery. Prescription size was reported in oral morphine equivalents. Multivariable regression was performed for risk adjustment, and new persistent use rate was estimated.ResultsPatient age was 71 ± 8 years, 9222 (38%) were female, and 20,898 (85%) were white. Overall new persistent use was 12.8% (3153 of 24,549), and declined yearly from 17% in 2009 to 7.1% in 2015 (P < .001). Prescription size, preoperative prescription fills, black race, gastrointestinal complications, disability status, open lung resection, dual eligibility (Medicare and Medicaid), drug and substance abuse, female sex, tobacco use, high comorbidity, pain disorders, longer hospital stay, and younger age were associated with new persistent use. Adjusted new persistent use was 19.6% (95% confidence interval, 18.7% to 20.4%) among patients prescribed more than 450 oral morphine equivalents, compared with 10.4% (95% confidence interval, 9.9% to 10.8%) among those prescribed 200 oral morphine equivalents or less (P < .001).ConclusionsSize and timing of perioperative opioid prescriptions were the strongest predictors of new persistent opioid use after cardiothoracic surgery. Modifiable risk factors such as prescription size should be targeted to reduce new persistent use.
Project description:ObjectiveTo calculate the incidence and identify the predictors of persistent postoperative opioid use at different postoperative days.Background dataA subset of surgical patients continues to use long-term opioids. The importance of the risk factors at different postoperative days is not known.DesignA historical cohort.SettingPostoperative period.PatientsOpioid-naive U.S. veterans.InterventionsThe surgical group had any one of 19 common invasive procedures. The control group is a 10% random sample. Each control was randomly assigned a surgery date.MeasurementsThe outcomes were the presence of persistent opioid use as determined by continued filling of prescriptions for opioids on postoperative days 90, 180, 270, and 365.Main resultsA total of 183,430 distinct surgical cases and 1,318,894 controls were identified. 1.0% of the surgical patients were using opioids at 90 days, 0.6% at 180 days, 0.4% at 270 days, and 0.1% at 365 days after the surgery. Surgery was strongly associated with postoperative persistent opioid use at day 90 (OR 3.67, 95% CI, 3.43-3.94, p < 0.001), at day 180 (OR 2.85, 2.67-3.12, p < 0.001), at day 270 (OR 2.63, 2.38-2.91, p < 0.001) and at day 365 (OR 2.11, 1.77-2.51, p < 0.001) compared to non-surgical controls. In risk factor analysis, being male and single were associated with persistent opioid use at earlier time points (90 and 180 days), while hepatitis C and preoperative benzodiazepine use were associated with persistent opioid use at later time points (270 and 365 days).ConclusionsMany surgeries or invasive procedures are associated with an increased risk of persistent postoperative opioid use. The postoperative period is dynamic and the risk factors change with time.
Project description:ObjectiveEvaluate the association between postoperative opioid prescribing and new persistent opioid use.Summary background dataOpioid-nave patients who develop new persistent opioid use after surgery are at increased risk of opioid-related morbidity and mortality. However, the extent to which postoperative opioid prescribing is associated with persistent postoperative opioid use is unclear.MethodsRetrospective study of opioid-naïve adults undergoing surgery in Michigan from 1/1/2017 to 10/31/2019. Postoperative opioid prescriptions were identified using a statewide clinical registry and prescription fills were identified using Michigan's prescription drug monitoring program. The primary outcome was new persistent opioid use, defined as filling at least 1 opioid prescription between post-discharge days 4 to 90 and filling at least 1 opioid prescription between post-discharge days 91 to 180.ResultsA total of 37,654 patients underwent surgery with a mean age of 52.2 (16.7) years and 20,923 (55.6%) female patients. A total of 31,920 (84.8%) patients were prescribed opioids at discharge. Six hundred twenty-two (1.7%) patients developed new persistent opioid use after surgery. Being prescribed an opioid at discharge was not associated with new persistent opioid use [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71-1.09)]. However, among patients prescribed an opioid, patients prescribed the second largest [12 (interquartile range (IQR) 3) pills] and largest [20 (IQR 7) pills] quartiles of prescription size had higher odds of new persistent opioid use compared to patients prescribed the smallest quartile [7 (IQR 1) pills] of prescription size [aOR 1.39 (95% CI 1.04-1.86) andaOR 1.97 (95% CI 1.442.70), respectively].ConclusionsIn a cohort of opioid-naïve patients undergoing common surgical procedures, the risk of new persistent opioid use increased with the size of the prescription. This suggests that while opioid prescriptions in and of themselves may not place patients at risk of long-term opioid use, excessive prescribing does. Consequently, these findings support ongoing efforts to mitigate excessive opioid prescribing after surgery to reduce opioid-related harms.
Project description:BackgroundAlthough new persistent opioid use and high-risk prescribing have been recognized as important postoperative complications among younger patients (18-64 years of age), little is known about the incidence for postoperative opioid use among older patients (>65 years of age).MethodsWe analyzed a 20% national sample of Medicare Part D claims among beneficiaries >65 years of age who underwent a major or minor surgical procedure between January 1, 2009, and June 30, 2015. We identified patients without an opioid prescription fill in the year before surgery and examined their perioperative and 6-month postoperative opioid prescription fills to examine the incidence of new persistent opioid use and high-risk prescribing.ResultsWe identified 81,839 opioid naïve patients who underwent surgery and filled an opioid prescription perioperatively. Overall, 9.8% developed new persistent opioid use. Risk factors for new persistent opioid use included major surgery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-1.31), more comorbid conditions (aOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.58-1.84), mood disorders (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.09-1.24), suicide or self-harm (aOR 1.60, 95% CI 1.05-2.44), substance abuse disorders (aOR 1.38, 95% CI 1.20-1.59), filling an opioid prescription before surgery (aOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.58-1.77), higher amounts of opioids filled (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.37-1.52), black race (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.12-1.36), and Medicaid eligibility (aOR 1.45, 95% CI 1.35-1.55).ConclusionAbout 10% of Medicare beneficiaries who were previously opioid naïve continue to fill opioids past 3 months after surgery. In addition to comorbidities and mental health conditions, new persistent opioid use is associated with surgery type, preoperative opioid fill, high-risk prescribing practices, and sociodemographic factors.