Opioid consumption before discharge predicts outpatient opioid use in adolescents undergoing surgery

The majority of adolescents undergoing surgery report unused prescription opioids after surgery, increasing the risk of diversion, misuse, and addiction. Adult studies have demonstrated that opioid use 24 hours before discharge corresponds with opioid use at home. We hypothesized that inpatient opioid consumption is associated with outpatient opioid use in adolescents.

Adolescents aged 13-20 years undergoing elective surgery associated with an opioid prescription were prospectively recruited. Parent-adolescent dyads were surveyed preoperatively to assess sociodemographics, health literacy, and baseline substance use, and opioid use was measured at 30- and 90-days postoperatively. Medical records were reviewed to calculate cumulative opioid use during hospitalization. Inpatient and postoperative opioid use was converted to oral morphine equivalents. Adjusting for age, sex, race, health literacy, alcohol use, pain score, and surgery, multivariable linear regression identified factors associated with outpatient oral morphine equivalent use 90 days postoperatively.

Overall, 103 adolescents were enrolled. Median oral morphine equivalents used from 24 and 48 hours before discharge and throughout the hospitalization were 30.8 (interquartile range:11.7-45.0), 67.5 (interquartile range:37.5-94.3), and 97.5 (interquartile range:18.0-152.7), respectively. Regression analysis demonstrated that adolescent-reported pain at discharge (P = .028) and cumulative oral morphine equivalents used 24 hours (P < .001) and 48 hours (P = .003) before discharge were significantly associated with postoperative oral morphine equivalents use at home. Oral morphine equivalents consumption 24 hours before discharge estimated cumulative oral morphine equivalents use 90 days postoperatively at a 1-to-5 ratio in 94.1% of patients.

For adolescents undergoing surgery, patient-reported pain at discharge and oral morphine equivalents administered 24 hours before discharge are associated with cumulative outpatient opioid use. Tailoring outpatient prescriptions to total oral morphine equivalent consumption 24 hours before discharge could reduce excess opioid prescribing.