Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology
-
J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Jan 2025
Multicenter Study Observational StudyVariability in Intraoperative Opioid and Nonopioid Utilization During Intracranial Surgery: A Multicenter, Retrospective Cohort Study.
Key goals during intracranial surgery are to facilitate rapid emergence and extubation for early neurologic evaluation. Longer-acting opioids are often avoided or administered at subtherapeutic doses due to their perceived risk of sedation and delayed emergence. However, inadequate analgesia and increased postoperative pain are common after intracranial surgery. In this multicenter study, we describe variability in opioid and nonopioid administration patterns in patients undergoing intracranial surgery. ⋯ This study found wide variability for both opioid and nonopioid utilization at an institutional level. Future work on practitioner-level opioid and nonopioid use and its impact on outcomes after intracranial surgery should be conducted.