Opioid consumption following outpatient upper extremity surgery

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Pain Management
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Postoperative pain management after elective outpatient upper extremity surgery often involves prescribing opioid analgesics.
• The typical quantity dispensed may exceed actual patient needs, raising concerns about unused medication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate pain control experienced by patients undergoing elective outpatient upper extremity surgery.
• To quantify the amount of leftover opioid pain medication after these procedures.

Main Methods:

• A phone interview was conducted with 250 patients 7–14 days after elective outpatient upper extremity surgery.
• Data collected included pain control satisfaction, medication usage, leftover pills, and reasons for non-use.

Main Results:

• 92% of patients reported adequate pain control, with a mean consumption of 10 opioid pills.
• Patients were typically prescribed 30 pills, resulting in an average of 19 unused pills per subject (4,639 total leftover tablets).
• Medicare patients consumed less medication than other insurance groups.

Conclusions:

• Elective upper extremity surgery patients receive excess opioid analgesics, posing a risk for diversion.
• Prescribing 30 opioid pills is often unnecessary, particularly for soft tissue procedures of the hand and wrist.