Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2023
Prevalence and Outcomes of Opioid Use Disorder in Pediatric Surgical Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Chronic opioid use among adolescents is a leading preventable public health problem in the United States. Consequently, a sizable proportion of surgical patients in this age group may have a comorbid opioid use disorder (OUD). No previously published study has examined the prevalence of OUD and its impact on postoperative morbidity or mortality in the adolescent surgical population. Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of comorbid OUD and its association with surgical outcomes in a US adolescent surgical population. We hypothesized that OUD among adolescent surgical patients is on an upward trajectory and that the presence of OUD is associated with higher risk of postoperative morbidity or mortality. ⋯ OUD is becoming increasingly prevalent in adolescents presenting for surgery. Comorbid OUD is an important determinant of surgical complications, postoperative infection, and resource utilization, underscoring the need to consider OUD as a critical, independent risk factor for postsurgical morbidity.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2023
Health Care Burden Associated With Adolescent Prolonged Opioid Use After Surgery.
Prolonged opioid use after surgery (POUS), defined as the filling of at least 1 opioid prescription filled between 90 and 180 days after surgery, has been shown to increase health care costs and utilization in adult populations. However, its economic burden has not been studied in adolescent patients. We hypothesized that adolescents with POUS would have higher health care costs and utilization than non-POUS patients. ⋯ In adolescents, POUS was associated with increased total health care costs and utilization in the 730 days after their surgical encounter. Given the increased health care burden associated with POUS in adolescents, further investigation of preventative measures for high-risk individuals and additional study of the relationship between opioid prescription and outcomes may be warranted.