Patterns of Opioid Prescribing for an Orthopaedic Trauma Population. 2017

John Ruder, and Meghan K Wally, and McKell Oliverio, and Rachel B Seymour, and Joseph R Hsu, and
*Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC; and†Carolinas Trauma Network Research Center of Excellence, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC.

OBJECTIVE To determine opioid-prescribing practices to the orthopaedic trauma (OT) population at one Level I trauma center. METHODS A retrospective study of discharge prescriptions for adult patients with OT. Prescription details, injury burden, and patient demographics were abstracted for patients from initial injury through a 2-month follow-up. METHODS Level I trauma center. METHODS Adult patients with OT admitted over a 30-day period (n = 110). METHODS All discharge and follow-up opioid prescriptions were recorded. METHODS Morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per day, number of opioid prescriptions, type/dose of medication prescribed. RESULTS One hundred thirty-five discharge prescriptions were written for 110 patients with orthopaedic injuries during the review period. All patients received opioids at the time of discharge. The MMEs prescribed at the time of discharge was 114 mg (54-300 mg) for a mean of 7.21 days (2-36.7 days). Although patients with preinjury risk factors were prescribed discharge opioids for a similar duration (7.00 days vs. 7.30 days, P = 0.81) than those without risk factors, they were prescribed significantly more MMEs than those without (130 vs. 108, P < 0.05) and were more likely to receive extended-release and long-acting opioids than those without (42.11% vs. 21.98%). CONCLUSIONS Pain management after OT continues to be opioid-centric despite involving a population at risk. Further focus on prescriber and patient education, risk evaluation with mitigation, guideline development, and comprehensive pain management strategies are warranted in the OT population. METHODS Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009657 North Carolina State bounded on the north by Virginia, on the east and Southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Georgia and South Carolina, and on the west by Tennessee.
D010149 Pain, Postoperative Pain during the period after surgery. Acute Post-operative Pain,Acute Postoperative Pain,Chronic Post-operative Pain,Chronic Post-surgical Pain,Chronic Postoperative Pain,Chronic Postsurgical Pain,Pain, Post-operative,Persistent Postsurgical Pain,Post-operative Pain,Post-operative Pain, Acute,Post-operative Pain, Chronic,Post-surgical Pain,Postoperative Pain, Acute,Postoperative Pain, Chronic,Postsurgical Pain,Postoperative Pain,Acute Post operative Pain,Chronic Post operative Pain,Chronic Post surgical Pain,Chronic Postsurgical Pains,Pain, Acute Post-operative,Pain, Acute Postoperative,Pain, Chronic Post-operative,Pain, Chronic Post-surgical,Pain, Chronic Postoperative,Pain, Chronic Postsurgical,Pain, Persistent Postsurgical,Pain, Post operative,Pain, Post-surgical,Pain, Postsurgical,Post operative Pain,Post operative Pain, Acute,Post operative Pain, Chronic,Post surgical Pain,Post-operative Pains,Post-surgical Pain, Chronic,Postsurgical Pain, Chronic,Postsurgical Pain, Persistent
D010818 Practice Patterns, Physicians' Patterns of practice related to diagnosis and treatment as especially influenced by cost of the service requested and provided. Clinical Practice Patterns,Physician's Practice Patterns,Clinical Practice Pattern,Pattern, Clinical Practice,Patterns, Clinical Practice,Practice Pattern, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Physician's,Prescribing Patterns, Physician,Physician Practice Patterns,Physician Prescribing Pattern,Physician Prescribing Patterns,Physician's Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Patterns,Practice Pattern, Physician's,Practice Pattern, Physicians',Practice Patterns, Physician,Prescribing Pattern, Physician
D011307 Drug Prescriptions Directions written for the obtaining and use of DRUGS. Drug Prescribing,Drug Prescription,Drug Prescribings,Prescribing, Drug,Prescribings, Drug
D004363 Drug Utilization The utilization of drugs as reported in individual hospital studies, FDA studies, marketing, or consumption, etc. This includes drug stockpiling, and patient drug profiles. Utilization, Drug,Drug Utilizations,Utilizations, Drug
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000069342 Medical Overuse Excessive or unnecessary utilization of health services by patients or physicians. Overutilization of Health Services,Unnecessary Health Care,Health Services Overuse,Health Services Overutilization,Medical Preference Misdiagnosis,Overuse, Health Services,Preference Misdiagnosis,Unwanted Medical Care,Health Care, Unnecessary,Health Services Overuses,Medical Care, Unwanted,Medical Overuses,Medical Preference Misdiagnoses,Misdiagnosis, Medical Preference,Misdiagnosis, Preference,Overuse, Medical,Overuses, Health Services,Overuses, Medical,Overutilization, Health Services,Preference Misdiagnoses

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