Ninety-day Postoperative Narcotic Use After Hospitalization for Orthopaedic Trauma

The purpose of this study was to compare narcotic use in the 90-day postoperative period across orthopaedic trauma, spine, and adult reconstruction patients and examine whether patient-reported pain scores at discharge correlate with narcotic use during the 90-day postoperative period.

Electronic medical record query was done between 2012 and 2015 using diagnosis-related groups for spine, adult reconstruction, and trauma procedures. Demographics, length of stay (LOS), visual analog scale pain scores during hospitalization, and narcotics prescribed in the 90-day postoperative period were collected. Multivariate analysis and linear regression were done.

Five thousand thirty patients were analyzed. Spine patients had the longest LOS, highest mean pain during LOS, and were prescribed the most morphine in the 90-day postoperative period. Linear regression revealed that pain scores at discharge markedly influence the quantity of narcotics prescribed in the 90-day postoperative period.

Patient-reported pain at hospital discharge was associated with increased narcotic use in the 90-day postoperative period.