A multi-institutional study found that 1 in 6 youths fill an opioid prescription prior to surgery, and 3% of patients were still filling opioid prescriptions three to six months after surgery, indicating persistent opioid use and possible opioid dependence. The study, which involved researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Stanford Medicine, underscores that more guidance is needed to steer clinicians away from prescribing opioids when they are not likely to be needed and recognizing patient-specific risk factors for persistent opioid use. The findings were recently published by the journal JAMA Network Open .
Approximately 1.4 million youths undergo surgery in the United States each year, and there is concern that they remain highly susceptible to opioid-related harms. While significant strides have been made in reducing prescriptions for opioids, it is important for clinicians to consider adolescent patients who may be at risk for developing an addiction to opioids due to a range of genetic, neurobiological and social vulnerabilities.
However, prior to this study, little was known about risks for persistent opioid use among adolescents and the timing of initial and refill of opioid prescriptions. "While prior analyses have shown a decline in opioid prescriptions in general, following surgical opioid prescribing recommendations remains a critical issue, especially .