The Effect of Preoperative Benzodiazepine Usage on Postoperative Opioid Consumption After Hand Surgery: A Multicenter Analysis.

Background Prescription rates of opioids and benzodiazepines have steadily increased in the last decade with the percentage of prescription opioid overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines more than doubling during that time. Orthopaedic surgery is one of the highest-volume opioid prescribing medical specialties, but the effects of benzodiazepine use on orthopaedic surgery patient outcomes are not well understood. The purpose of the study was to utilize the state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) database to investigate if perioperative benzodiazepine use predisposes patients to prolonged opioid use following hand and upper extremity orthopaedic surgery.