Articles: opioid-analgesics.
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Also in ambulatory surgery, there will usually be a need for analgesic medication to deal with postoperative pain. Even so, a significant proportion of ambulatory surgery patients have unacceptable postoperative pain, and there is a need for better education in how to provide proper prophylaxis and treatment. ⋯ Multimodal analgesia should start pre or per-operatively and include paracetamol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), dexamethasone (or alternative glucocorticoid) and local anaesthetic wound infiltration, unless contraindicated in the individual case. Paracetamol and NSAID should be continued postoperatively, supplemented with opioid on top as needed. Extra analgesia may be considered when appropriate and needed. First-line options include nerve blocks or interfascial plane blocks and i.v. lidocaine infusion. In addition, gabapentinnoids, dexmedetomidine, ketamine infusion and clonidine may be used, but adverse effects of sedation, dizziness and hypotension must be carefully considered in the ambulatory setting.
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To compare outcomes after surgery between patients who were not prescribed opioids and patients who were prescribed opioids. ⋯ Patients who were not prescribed opioids after surgery had similar clinical and patient-reported outcomes as patients who were prescribed opioids. This suggests that minimizing opioids as part of routine postoperative care is unlikely to adversely affect patients.
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This study was designed to test the hypothesis that patients prescribed hydrocodone consume a similar number of tablets as those prescribed oxycodone after surgery. ⋯ Although patients prescribed hydrocodone consumed more tablets than patients prescribed oxycodone, this difference was not clinically significant and did not result in differences in satisfaction, pain, or refills. Perioperative opioid prescribing guidelines may recommend the same number of 5 mg oxycodone and hydrocodone tablets without sacrificing patient-reported outcomes.