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Updated: Oct 11, 2025

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain PPOP
Published on: January 27, 2010
Opioid Reduction Through Postoperative Pain Management in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
Kerwyn Jones1, Laurie Engler2, Elizabeth Fonte1
1Departments of Orthopedic Surgery.
Insights
Standardized pediatric orthopedic pain guidelines significantly reduced opioid prescriptions by 54% post-surgery. This initiative maintained effective pain management without increasing unintended opioid refills.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Orthopedics
- Pain Management
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Inconsistent opioid prescribing practices for pediatric orthopedic surgery.
- Need for standardized guidelines to optimize pain management and reduce opioid use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reduce discharge opioid prescriptions for pediatric orthopedic patients.
- To maintain optimal pain management using standardized prescribing guidelines.
Main Methods:
- Developed a 4-tiered guideline for pediatric orthopedic postoperative pain management.
- Implemented an electronic medical record order set using the Model for Improvement methodology.
- Monitored provider compliance and opioid dosage (morphine milligram equivalents [MME]) over time.
Main Results:
- Achieved and sustained >90% compliance with guidelines for 20 months.
- Reduced opioid prescriptions by 54% (71 MME to 33 MME per patient).
- Maintained effective pain management with no significant change in unanticipated opioid refills (3% pre- and post-intervention).
Conclusions:
- Standardized guidelines significantly reduced pediatric orthopedic opioid prescribing.
- Effective postoperative pain management was maintained post-guideline implementation.
Objectives:
Our goal with this initiative was to reduce discharge opioid prescriptions while maintaining optimal pain management through the use of standardized pain prescribing guidelines for pediatric patients after orthopedic surgical procedures.
Methods:
Through analysis of established yet inconsistent prescribing practices, we created a 4-tiered guideline for pediatric orthopedic postoperative pain management prescription ordering. Following the Model for Improvement methodology including iterative plan-do-study-act cycles, the team created an electronic medical record order set to be used at discharge from the hospital. The provider compliance with this order set was monitored and analyzed over time by using provider-level and aggregate control charts. A secondary measure of opioid prescriptions (morphine milligram Eq [MME] dosage per patient) was tracked over time. The balancing measure was the analysis of unanticipated opioid prescription refills.
Results:
Greater than 90% compliance with the guidelines was achieved and sustained for 20 months. This resulted in a 54% reduction in opioids prescribed during the improvement period (baseline = 71 MME per patient; postintervention = 33 MME per patient) and has been sustained for 12 months. The percentage of unanticipated opioid prescription refills did not significantly change from the period before the institution of the guidelines and after institution of the guidelines (2017 = 3%; 2019 = 3%).
Conclusions:
The creation of these guidelines has led to a significant reduction in the number of opioids prescribed while maintaining effective postoperative pain management.
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