Bottom Line: Nearly 1 in 4 patients undergoing surgery at an academic medical center reported preoperative opioid use in a study of about 34,000 patients who underwent surgery from 2010-2016. Age, tobacco use, illicit drug use, higher pain severity, depression, lower life satisfaction and more coexisting medical conditions were associated with preoperative opioid use by patients before surgery. Identifying patients undergoing surgery who use opioids could help establish safe and effective pain management plans for this complicated patient population.
Authors: Paul E. Hilliard, M.D., University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, and coauthors
Related material: The commentary, "Perioperative Opioid Management - An Opportunity to Put the Genie Back Into the Bottle," by Michael A. Ashburn, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., and Lee A. Fleisher, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, is also available on the For The Media website.
To Learn More: The full study is available on the For The Media website.
(doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2018.2102)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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Journal
JAMA Surgery