Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2025

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain PPOP
Published on: January 27, 2010
Larger Perioperative Opioid Prescriptions Lead to Prolonged Opioid Use After Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery: A
Clay B Townsend1, Justin A Ly, Ryan Judy
1From the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute (Dr. Townsend, Mr. Sherman, and Dr. Ilyas); the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University (Mr. Ly); Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Temple University Hospital (Dr. Judy, Dr. Abdelfattah, and Dr. Solarz); the Department of Orthopaedics, Einstein Healthcare Network (Dr. Conroy and Dr. Woozley); the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation for Opioid Research & Education (Dr. Ilyas); and the Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University (Mr. Elmer and Dr. Ilyas), Philadelphia, PA.
Introduction:
The opioid epidemic remains an ongoing public health crisis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether surgeons' prescribing patterns of the initial postoperative opioid prescription predispose patients to prolonged opioid use after upper extremity surgery.
Methods:
This multicenter retrospective study was done at three academic institutions. Patients who underwent carpal tunnel release, basal joint arthroplasty, and distal radius fracture open reduction and internal fixation over a 1.5-year period were included. Opioid prescription data were obtained from the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program website.
Results:
Postoperatively, 30.1% of the patients (191/634) filled ≥1 additional opioid prescription, and 14.0% (89/634) experienced prolonged opioid use 3 to 6 months postoperatively. Patients who filled an additional prescription postoperatively were initially prescribed significantly more pills (P = 0.001), a significantly longer duration prescription (P = 0.009), and a significantly larger prescription in total milligram morphine equivalents (P = 0.002) than patients who did not fill additional prescriptions. Patients who had prolonged opioid use were prescribed a significantly longer duration prescription (P = 0.026) than those without prolonged use.
Conclusion:
Larger and longer duration of initial opioid prescriptions predisposed patients to continued postoperative opioid use. These findings emphasize the importance of safe and evidence-based prescribing practices to prevent the detrimental effects of opioid use after orthopaedic surgery.
More Related Videos
09:51The Transition to an Anterior-Based Muscle Sparing Approach Improves Early Postoperative Function but is Associated with a Learning Curve
Published on: September 7, 2022
12:20Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device OPAD to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior
Published on: June 10, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Peripheral Artery Disease V: Postoperative Nursing Management
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
Analgesia and Pain Management
Endoscopic Procedures IV: Sigmoidoscopy and Laproscopy
Sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that uses a flexible sigmoidoscope equipped with a light source and camera to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. The procedure involves inserting the tube through the anus...
Cardiomyopathy VII: Pre and Post Operative Nursing Management