A new study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma examines the opioid prescription patterns for orthopedic trauma patients.
The study authors conducted a retrospective study of adult patients who underwent orthopedic trauma surgery. The 110 patients studied all spent more than 30 days in the hospital. Here are five key findings:
1. Physicians wrote 135 discharge prescriptions for the 110 patients with orthopedic injuries in the review. All the patients received opioids at discharge.
2. The morphine milligram equivalent for opioid prescriptions at discharge was 114 mg. The prescriptions were written for 7.21 days on average, with the range being two days to 36.7 days.
3. Patients with and without preinjury risk factors received discharge opioid prescriptions for around seven days on average. However, the patients with preinjury risk factors received prescriptions for more morphine milligram equivalents than those without — 130 mg, compared with 108 mg.
4. Physicians were more likely to write patients with preinjury risk factors prescriptions for extended release and long-acting opioids — 42.11 percent — than those without — 21.98 percent.
5. The study authors concluded pain management for orthopedic trauma patients was opioid-centric even for the at-risk population and recommended "further focus on prescriber and patient education, risk evaluation with mitigation, guideline development and comprehensive pain management strategies."