Pain profiles and opioid consumption following joint replacement surgery: a prospective observational cohort study.

Purpose: We sought to analyze postoperative discharge opioid prescription, consumption, and pain over three months following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in patients undergoing THA and TKA at two centres in Toronto, ON, Canada. We contacted study participants at two, six, and 12 weeks after discharge to collect data on analgesic satisfaction, pain relief, time point of stopping opioids, quantity of unconsumed opioid pills, quality of pain, and mental health.

Optimizing opioid prescriptions after laparoscopic appendectomy and cholecystectomy.

Background: There has been an increase in opioid usage and opioid-related deaths. Opioids prescribed to surgical patients have similarly increased. The aim of this study was to assess opioid consumption in patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and to determine whether a standardized prescription could affect opioid consumption without affecting patient satisfaction.

Consensus Statement for the Prescription of Pain Medication at Discharge after Elective Adult Surgery.

This Consensus Statement provides recommendations on the prescription of pain medication at discharge from hospital for opioid-naïve adult patients who undergo elective surgery. It encourages health care providers (surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses/nurse practitioners, pain teams, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and trainees) to (1) use nonopioid therapies and reduce the prescription of opioids so that fewer opioid pills are available for diversion and (2) educate patients and their families/caregivers about pain management options after surgery to optimize quality of care for postoperative pain. These recommendations apply to opioid-naïve adult patients who undergo elective surgery.

Postoperative opioid-prescribing patterns among surgeons and residents at university-affiliated hospitals: a survey study.

Background: Overprescribing of opioids to patients following surgery is a public health concern, as unused pills may be diverted and contribute to opioid misuse and dependence. The objectives of this study were to determine current opioid-prescribing patterns for common surgical procedures, factors that affect surgeons’ prescribing behaviour and their perceived ability to manage patients with opioid use disorder.

Methods: Survey participants included all consultant and trainee surgeons at the University of Toronto.

The perioperative patient on buprenorphine: a systematic review of perioperative management strategies and patient outcomes.

Background: An increasing number of patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) are treated with opioid agonist-antagonists such as buprenorphine/naloxone. Perioperative management of patients on buprenorphine/naloxone is inconsistent and remains a controversial topic with mismanagement posing a significant risk to the long-term health of these patients.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature search involving Medline, Medline In-Process, Embase, Cochrane Central, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO, Web of Science (Clarivate), Scopus (Elsevier), CINAHL (EbscoHosst), and PubMed (NLM).

Opioid Use After Discharge in Postoperative Patients: A Systematic Review.

Background: Over the past 2 decades, there has been an increase in opioid use and subsequently, opioid deaths. The amount of opioid prescribed to surgical patients has also increased. The aim of this systematic review was to determine postdischarge opioid consumption in surgical patients compared with the amount of opioid prescribed.

Systematic review of movement-evoked pain versus pain at rest in postsurgical clinical trials and meta-analyses: a fundamental distinction requiring standardized measurement.

To estimate frequency of movement-evoked pain (MEP) measurement in human postsurgical investigations, we reviewed thoracotomy, knee arthroplasty, and hysterectomy clinical trials and meta-analyses. Only 39% of trials measured MEP and 52% failed to identify pain outcome as pain at rest (PAR) or MEP. Temporal trending did not suggest that MEP measurement is becoming more frequent.