Articles: opioid.
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Retracted Publication
Discharge of postoperative patients with an opioid prescription is associated with increased persistent opioid use, healthcare expenditures and mortality: a retrospective cohort study.
The risk factors for persistent opioid use after surgical discharge and the association between opioid prescription at discharge and postoperative emergency department visits, readmission, and mortality are unclear. ⋯ In this large cohort of patients undergoing surgery, an opioid prescription on discharge was associated with a higher chance of persistent opioid use and increased risks of postoperative emergency department visits, readmission, and mortality. Minimising opioid prescriptions on discharge could improve perioperative patient outcomes.
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National guidelines for rational opioid prescribing for acute postoperative pain are needed to optimise postoperative pain control and function whilst minimising opioid-related harm. ⋯ The consensus papers provide guidance and recommendations based on the consensus of expert opinion that is based on the best available evidence. However, there is a lack of evidence supporting many of these consensus statements. Efforts to further analyse interventions that aim to reduce the rates of opioid prescribing and their adverse effects should therefore continue.