Study: Incidence of new postop persistent opioid use

Editor's Note

New persistent postoperative opioid use is common and does not differ between minor and major procedures, but, instead, it is associated with behavioral and pain disorders, this study finds.

Of 36,177 elective surgery patients assessed, about 6% filled opioid drug prescriptions between 90 and 180 days after the procedure, compared with 0.4% of patients in a nonsurgical control group.

Risk factors independently associated with new persistent opioid use included preoperative tobacco use, alcohol and substance abuse, mood disorders, anxiety, and pain disorders.

The findings suggest that persistent opioid use is due to patient-level predictors, not surgical pain, the authors say. This represents a surgical complication that warrants increased awareness.

Question What is the incidence of new persistent opioid use after surgery? Findings In this population-based study of 36 177 surgical patients, the incidence of new persistent opioid use after surgical procedures was 5.9% to 6.5% and did not differ between major and minor surgical procedures.