-
Obstetrics and Gynecology Apr 2023To assess the amount of opioid medication used by patients and the prevalence of persistent opioid use after discharge for gynecologic surgery for benign indications.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the amount of opioid medication used by patients and the prevalence of persistent opioid use after discharge for gynecologic surgery for benign indications.
DATA SOURCES
We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to October 2020.
METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION
Studies with data on gynecologic surgical procedures for benign indications and the amount of outpatient opioids consumed, or the incidence of either persistent opioid use or opioid-use disorder postsurgery were included. Two reviewers independently screened citations and extracted data from eligible studies.
TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS
Thirty-six studies (37 articles) met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from 35 studies; 23 studies included data on opioids consumed after hospital discharge, and 12 studies included data on persistent opioid use after gynecologic surgery. Average morphine milligram equivalents (MME) used in the 14 days after discharge were 54.0 (95% CI 39.9-68.0, seven tablets of 5-mg oxycodone) across all gynecologic surgery types, 35.0 (95% CI 0-75.12, 4.5 tablets of 5-mg oxycodone) after a vaginal hysterectomy, 59.5 (95% CI 44.4-74.6, eight tablets of 5-mg oxycodone) after laparoscopic hysterectomy, and 108.1 (95% CI 80.5-135.8, 14.5 tablets of 5-mg oxycodone) after abdominal hysterectomy. Patients used 22.4 MME (95% CI 12.4-32.3, three tablets of 5-mg oxycodone) within 24 hours of discharge after laparoscopic procedures without hysterectomy and 79.8 MME (95% CI 37.1-122.6, 10.5 tablets of 5-mg oxycodone) from discharge to 7 or 14 days postdischarge after surgery for prolapse. Persistent opioid use occurred in about 4.4% of patients after gynecologic surgery, but this outcome had high heterogeneity due to variation in populations and definitions of the outcome.
CONCLUSION
On average, patients use the equivalent of 15 or fewer 5-mg oxycodone tablets (or equivalent) in the 2 weeks after discharge after major gynecologic surgery for benign indications. Persistent opioid use occurred in 4.4% of patients who underwent gynecologic surgery for benign indications. Our findings could help surgeons minimize overprescribing and reduce medication diversion or misuse.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO, CRD42020146120.
Topics: Humans; Female; Analgesics, Opioid; Oxycodone; Pain, Postoperative; Acute Pain; Aftercare; Patient Discharge; Opioid-Related Disorders; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; Prescriptions; Practice Patterns, Physicians'
PubMed: 36897135
DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005104 -
Journal of Opioid Management 2021To determine the incidence of addiction and dependence in persons with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) who are treated with oxycodone.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of addiction and dependence in persons with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) who are treated with oxycodone.
DESIGN
Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
METHODS
PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to January 2020. Of 1,320 retrieved citations screened by two independent raters at title and abstract and full-text screening, six articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria for the systematic review. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment followed article screening. The Cochrane Collaboration tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used to assess the risk of bias in individual studies.
RESULTS
Two of the six articles reported addiction and the remaining four reported dependence. The incidence rates of addiction were 2.91 percent and 1.72 percent, and the incidence rates of dependence were 0.00 percent, 0.44 percent, 0.45 percent, and 5.77 percent. In all articles, addiction and dependence were treated as secondary outcomes. Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) had follow-up lengths of less than 31 days, which is insufficient to assess the incidence of addiction or dependence.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this systematic review show that oxycodone use leads to addiction and dependence in a small proportion of individuals with CNCP. However, one must exercise caution when drawing conclusions from the six included articles. Future studies in the area should examine addiction and dependence as primary outcomes using adequate follow-up periods.
Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Chronic Pain; Humans; Iatrogenic Disease; Oxycodone; Prescriptions
PubMed: 33735430
DOI: 10.5055/jom.2021.0616 -
Journal of the American Pharmacists... 2021To evaluate opioid prescribing, dispensing, and use in relation to hydrocodone-containing product (HCP) rescheduling.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate opioid prescribing, dispensing, and use in relation to hydrocodone-containing product (HCP) rescheduling.
METHODS
Seven biomedical databases and grey literature sources were searched with keywords and database-specific controlled vocabulary relevant to HCP rescheduling for items published between January 2014 and July 2019. We included English-language quasi-experimental studies that assessed changes in HCP and other opioid prescribing, dispensing, utilization, and opioid-related health outcomes before and after HCP rescheduling. A data extraction sheet was created for this review. Two authors evaluated risk of bias for each included study. Two of 4 authors each independently extracted patient demographics and opioid-related outcomes from the included studies. Conflicts were resolved by a third author.
RESULTS
All studies identified (n = 44) were quasi-experimental in design with 10 using an interrupted time series approach. A total of 24 studies reported a decrease in HCP prescribing by 3.1%-66.0%. Six studies reported a decrease in HCP days' supply or doses by 14.0%-80.8%. There was increased prescribing of oxycodone-containing products by 4.5%-13.9% in 5 studies, tramadol by 2.7%-53.0% in 9 studies, codeine-containing products by 0.8%-1352.9% in 8 studies). Five studies reported a decrease in morphine equivalents by at least 10%, whereas 2 studies reported an increase in morphine equivalents. Differences in populations, sample sizes, and approaches did not allow for a meta-analysis. Details regarding approach and findings were limited in published conference abstracts (n = 16).
CONCLUSIONS
Hydrocodone rescheduling was associated with reductions in prescribing and use of HCPs but was also associated with increased prescribing and use of other opioids, both schedule II and nonschedule II.
Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Controlled Substances; Drug Prescriptions; Drug and Narcotic Control; Humans; Hydrocodone; Practice Patterns, Physicians'
PubMed: 33127312
DOI: 10.1016/j.japh.2020.09.013 -
Journal of Opioid Management 2022To determine equianalgesic potency ratios for opioids with an -evidence-based approach without the use of pre-existing potency tables. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To determine equianalgesic potency ratios for opioids with an -evidence-based approach without the use of pre-existing potency tables.
DESIGN
Frequentist network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing opioids in patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).
SETTING
A systematic review.
DATA SOURCES
A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), and Web of Science identified relevant RCTs from start of recording to 2019.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
RCTs comparing opioids via intravenous PCA in acute pain, with comparable resulting pain scores and identical treatment with coanalgesics at study level. The quality of studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool with six items.
RESULTS
52 RCTs were identified with data for 16 opioids. Primary endpoint was the inverted ratio of means of the total consumption administered via PCA, which resembles the analgesic potency. The calculated analgesic potencies were sufentanil 423 [95 percent CI 334.99; 532.96], fentanyl 58 [48.22; 68.60], buprenorphine 37 [26.66; 50.81], remifentanil 13 [9.37; 19.13], alfentanil 7 [4.02; 11.01], hydromorphone 6 [4.96; 8.43], oxymorphone 6 [4.46; 8.84], butorphanol 4.5 [3.05; 6.73], diamorphine 2.2 [1.16; 4.10], morphine 1, oxycodone 0.9 [0.65; 1.34], piritramide 0.9 [0.55; 1.56], nalbuphine 0.7 [0.54; 0.95], pethidine 0.12 [0.10; 0.15], meptazinol 0.08 [0.03; 0.20], and tramadol 0.08 [0.07; 0.10].
CONCLUSIONS
The results in part contradict the values from the literature, which have been criticized for their imprecision. From clinical experience however, our findings seem very plausible. Short-acting opioids are less potent compared to longer acting drugs, eg, morphine, probably due to shorter intervals for -readministration.
Topics: Humans; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics, Opioid; Network Meta-Analysis; Tramadol; Morphine
PubMed: 36523208
DOI: 10.5055/jom.2022.0751 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Nov 2022Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), unlike laparotomy, is an invasive surgical procedure, and some patients report mild to moderate pain after surgery. Transversus... (Review)
Review
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), unlike laparotomy, is an invasive surgical procedure, and some patients report mild to moderate pain after surgery. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has been shown to be an appropriate method for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. However, there have been few studies on the efficacy of TAP block after LC surgery, with unclear information on the optimal dose, long-term effects, and clinical significance, and the analgesic efficacy of various procedures, hence the need for this review. Five electronic databases (PubMed, Academic Search Premier, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library) were searched for eligible studies published from inception to the present. Post-mean and standard deviation values for pain assessed were extracted, and mean changes per group were calculated. Clinical significance was determined using the distribution-based approach. Four different local anesthetics (Bupivacaine, Ropivacaine, Lidocaine, and Levobupivacaine) were used at varying concentrations from 0.2% to 0.375%. Ten different drug solutions (i.e., esmolol, Dexamethasone, Magnesium Sulfate, Ketorolac, Oxycodone, Epinephrine, Sufentanil, Tropisetron, normal saline, and Dexmedetomidine) were used as adjuvants. The optimal dose of local anesthetics for LC could be 20 mL with 0.4 mL/kg for port infiltration. Various TAP procedures such as ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (US-TAP) block and other strategies have been shown to be used for pain management in LC; however, TAP blockade procedures were reported to be the most effective method for analgesia compared with general anesthesia and port infiltration. Instead of 0.25% Bupivacaine, 1% Pethidine could be used for the TAP block procedures. Multimodal analgesia could be another strategy for pain management. Analgesia with TAP blockade decreases opioid consumption significantly and provides effective analgesia. Further studies should identify the long-term effects of different TAP block procedures.
PubMed: 36498471
DOI: 10.3390/jcm11236896 -
Australian Health Review : a... Apr 2020Objective This review systematically identified studies that estimated the prevalence of prescription opioid use in Australia, assessed the prevalence estimates for bias...
Objective This review systematically identified studies that estimated the prevalence of prescription opioid use in Australia, assessed the prevalence estimates for bias and identified areas for future research. Methods Literature published after 2000 containing a potentially representative estimate of prescription opioid use in adults, in the community setting, in Australia was included in this review. Studies that solely assessed opioid replacement, illicit opioid usage or acute hospital in-patient use were excluded. Databases searched included PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and the grey literature. Results The search identified 2253 peer-reviewed publications, with 34 requiring full-text review. Of these, 20 were included in the final qualitative analysis, in addition to four publications from the grey literature. Most studies included analysed prescription claims data for medicines dispensed via Australia's national medicines subsidy scheme (the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme). Although data sources were good quality, all prevalence estimates were at least at moderate risk of bias, predominantly due to incompleteness of data or potential confounding. Included publications demonstrated a significant rise in opioid use up to 2017 (including a 15-fold increase in prescriptions dispensed over the 20 years to 2015), predominantly driven by a sharp rise in oxycodone use. Although opioid prescription numbers continue to escalate, usage, as measured by oral morphine equivalent per capita, may have plateaued since 2014. Codeine remains the most prevalently obtained opioid, followed by oxycodone and tramadol. There was a substantial delay (median 30 months; interquartile range 20-37 months) to publication of opioid usage data from time of availability. Conclusions Australia has experienced a marked increase in opioid prescribing since the 1990s. Current published literature is restricted to incomplete, delayed and historical data, limiting the ability of clinicians and policy makers to intervene appropriately. What is known about the topic? Opioid prescriptions in Australia have continued to increase since the 1990s and may be mirroring the epidemic being seen in the US. What does this paper add? This paper systematically identifies all publications that have examined the prevalence of prescription opioid use in Australia since 2000, and only identified prevalence estimates that were at moderate or high risk of bias, and found significant delays to publication of these estimates. What are the implications for practitioners? Because published literature on the prevalence of prescription opioid consumption is restricted to incomplete, delayed and historical data, the ability of clinicians and policy makers to appropriately intervene to curb prescription opioid use is limited. A national policy of real-time monitoring and reporting of opioid prescribing may support improvements in practice.
Topics: Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Analgesics, Opioid; Australia; Drug Prescriptions; Drug Utilization; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Sex Distribution; Young Adult
PubMed: 32241339
DOI: 10.1071/AH18245 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023To systematically assess and rank the efficacy of opioid medications for traumatic pain in the emergency department in terms of pain relief, adverse events and rescue...
To systematically assess and rank the efficacy of opioid medications for traumatic pain in the emergency department in terms of pain relief, adverse events and rescue analgesia. Four databases were systematically searched until 26 September 2022: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Outcomes were pain relief, adverse events (dizziness, hypotension, pruritus, sedation), and rescue analgesia. For each outcome, network plots were drawn to exhibit direct and indirect comparisons, and rank probabilities were utilized to rank the efficacy of different opioids. Twenty studies of 3,040 patients were eligible for this network meta-analysis. According to the rank probabilities, the top three analgesic medications for pain relief may be sufentanil (78.29% probability of ranking first), buprenorphine (48.54% probability of ranking second) and fentanyl (53.25% probability of ranking third); buprenorphine (31.20%), fentanyl (20.14%) and sufentanil (21.55%) were least likely to cause dizziness; the top three analgesic medications which were least likely to cause hypotension were buprenorphine (81.64%), morphine (45.02%) and sufentanil (17.27%); butorphanol (40.56%), morphine (41.11%) and fentanyl (14.63%) were least likely to cause pruritus; the top three medications which were least likely to cause sedation were hydrocodone + acetaminophen (97.92%), morphine (61.85%) and butorphanol (55.24%); patients who received oxycodone (83.64%), butorphanol (38.31%) and fentanyl (25.91%) were least likely to need rescue analgesia in sequence. Sufentanil, buprenorphine and fentanyl may be superior to other opioid medications in terms of pain relief and the incidence of dizziness, hypotension and pruritus, which might be selected as opioid analgesics for traumatic pain in the emergency setting.
PubMed: 37576822
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1209131 -
Journal of Pediatric Surgery Jul 2022Opioids play a major role in postoperative pain management in children, but their administration remains an under investigated topic. This study aimed to describe...
BACKGROUND
Opioids play a major role in postoperative pain management in children, but their administration remains an under investigated topic. This study aimed to describe perioperative opioid prescribing practices for paediatric inguinal hernia patients in the literature and at The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne, Australia.
MATERIAL/METHOD
A systematic review of English articles (published from 2009 to 2019) was conducted on paediatric (0-18y) inguinal hernia patients who received a postoperative or discharge opioid prescription, or both. The review was combined with a retrospective audit of RCH patients. Demographic, surgical, and analgesic details were collected from the electronic medical records.
RESULTS
Fifteen studies (n = 1166; combined mean age 4.93y) met the systematic review criteria. The percentage of patients receiving opioids postoperatively overall ranged from 3.33-100%, and doses ranged from 0.07 to 0.35 mg/kg oMEDD. At the RCH, perioperative opioid use was analyzed from 150 inguinal hernia patients (male - 113, median age - 3 months old). Postoperatively, 26 (17.3%) patients received opioids. The most commonly administered opioids were fentanyl (0.04-0.60 mg/kg oMEDD) in the post anaesthesia care unit and oxycodone (0.14-0.40 mg/kg oMEDD) in the first 24 h postoperatively. Older age at surgery, female sex and absence of regional anaesthesia were significantly associated with higher risk of total opioid use. No patients received an opioid prescription at discharge.
CONCLUSION
There is demonstratable variability in opioid prescribing practices for paediatric inguinal hernia patients as described in the literature. At our institution opioids were not used frequently in postoperative period.
Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Hernia, Inguinal; Humans; Infant; Male; Pain, Postoperative; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35397872
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2022.02.039 -
The Pharmacogenomics Journal Dec 2021Variable responses to medications complicates perioperative care. As a potential solution, we evaluated and synthesized pharmacogenomic evidence that may inform...
Variable responses to medications complicates perioperative care. As a potential solution, we evaluated and synthesized pharmacogenomic evidence that may inform anesthesia and pain prescribing to identify clinically actionable drug/gene pairs. Clinical decision-support (CDS) summaries were developed and were evaluated using Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II. We found that 93/180 (51%) of commonly-used perioperative medications had some published pharmacogenomic information, with 18 having actionable evidence: celecoxib/diclofenac/flurbiprofen/ibuprofen/piroxicam/CYP2C9, codeine/oxycodone/tramadol CYP2D6, desflurane/enflurane/halothane/isoflurane/sevoflurane/succinylcholine/RYR1/CACNA1S, diazepam/CYP2C19, phenytoin/CYP2C9, succinylcholine/mivacurium/BCHE, and morphine/OPRM1. Novel CDS summaries were developed for these 18 medications. AGREE II mean ± standard deviation scores were high for Scope and Purpose (95.0 ± 2.8), Rigor of Development (93.2 ± 2.8), Clarity of Presentation (87.3 ± 3.0), and Applicability (86.5 ± 3.7) (maximum score = 100). Overall mean guideline quality score was 6.7 ± 0.2 (maximum score = 7). All summaries were recommended for clinical implementation. A critical mass of pharmacogenomic evidence exists for select medications commonly used in the perioperative setting, warranting prospective examination for clinical utility.
Topics: Analgesics; Anesthetics; Clinical Decision-Making; Decision Support Techniques; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Perioperative Care; Pharmacogenetics; Pharmacogenomic Testing; Pharmacogenomic Variants; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors
PubMed: 34376788
DOI: 10.1038/s41397-021-00248-2 -
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Nov 2021Treating acute pain among persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) on opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is complex, and the therapeutic benefits of opioids remain unclear when... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Treating acute pain among persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) on opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is complex, and the therapeutic benefits of opioids remain unclear when weighted against their abuse potential and respiratory depressant effects.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of experimental pain studies examining opioid-induced analgesia among persons with OUD on OAT. We searched multiple databases from inception to July 30, 2021. Study quality was assessed by previously established validity measures.
RESULTS
Nine studies were identified, with a total of 225 participants, of whom 63% were male, and 37% were female. Six studies included methadone-maintained persons with OUD; four studies included buprenorphine-maintained persons with OUD; and three studies included healthy persons as comparison groups. Either additional doses of OAT or other opioids - morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, or remifentanil - were administered. In seven studies, persons with OUD on OAT did not experience analgesia, despite receiving opioid doses up to 20 times greater than those clinically used to treat severe pain among the opioid naïve. Conversely, in two studies, high-potency opioids did produce analgesia, albeit with greater abuse potential. Notably, persons with OUD on OAT remained vulnerable to respiratory depression.
CONCLUSIONS
Although persons with OUD on OAT can derive analgesic effects from opioids, high-potency compounds may be required to achieve clinically significant pain relief. Further, persons with OUD on OAT may remain vulnerable to opioid-induced abuse potential and respiratory depression. Together, these finding have clinical, methodological, and mechanistic implications for the treatment of acute pain in the context of OAT.
Topics: Acute Pain; Analgesia; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine; Female; Humans; Male; Methadone; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders
PubMed: 34601272
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109097