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Implementation and Evaluation of an Opioid Risk Questionnaire in the Outpatient Plastic Surgery Setting
Leah Salazar1, Lillian Findlay
1Leah Salazar, DNP, APRN-BC, RN, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner working in outpatient plastic and cosmetic surgery in Reno, Nevada. Lillian Findlay, PhD, APRN, is a board-certified nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric mental health and a faculty member of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.
Abstract:
Most patients undergoing plastic and cosmetic surgery are prescribed an opioid for postoperative pain control. With the advent of the opioid epidemic in our country, screening for opioid risk has become a topic of many health care discussions. However, there has been little mention of using an opioid risk questionnaire specific to the outpatient plastic surgery setting. This project consisted of distribution of an opioid risk questionnaire to adult patients undergoing outpatient plastic surgery. Data were collected at preoperative appointments from participating patients (n = 27). Although the sample size was small, two patients (7%) were identified as having a history of substance abuse, and both of those patients reported they had also received treatment for their substance abuse. In addition, six patients (22%) reported having a family history of substance abuse. Such findings suggest that clinicians working in outpatient plastic surgery should screen their patients for substance abuse and misuse.
