Prescription Opioid Type and the Likelihood of Prolonged Opioid Use After Orthopaedic Surgery.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

A common belief is that some narcotic medications have a higher association with prolonged use. We assessed whether the initial opiate type prescribed to postoperative, opiate-naive orthopaedic trauma patients was associated with prolonged opioid use.

Methods

We studied 17,961 adult, opiate-naive patients treated for a surgical musculoskeletal injury. Discharge prescription in morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs, a standardized dosing unit that allows for comparison across opioid types) was calculated. Opioid prescribing beyond 90 days after injury was defined as prolonged use.

Results

Initial analysis demonstrated a higher likelihood of prolonged use for patients discharged on hydromorphone or morphine versus hydrocodone. However, when we adjusted for d

SUBMITTER: Basilico M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6590520 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature