Long-term opioid use in family members linked to persistent postop use in adolescents, young adults

Editor's Note

Long-term opioid use among family members was associated with persistent postoperative opioid use in opioid-naïve adolescents and young adults and should be screened for preoperatively, this study finds.

Of 346,251 opioid-naïve patients aged 13 to 21 years having common surgical and dental procedures, persistent opioid use occurred in 4.1% with long-term opioid use in family members, compared with 2.4% without opioid use in family members.

Physicians should screen young patients for long-term opioid use in their families and implement heightened efforts to prevent opioid dependence in these patients, the researchers say.