A personalized protocol for prescribing opioids after cesarean delivery : leveraging the electronic medical record to reduce outpatient opioid prescriptions

Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..

BACKGROUND: Although cesarean delivery is the most common surgery performed in the United States, prescribing practices for analgesia vary. Strategies to manage postpartum pain have mostly focused on the immediate postpartum period when patients are still admitted to the hospital. At discharge, most providers prescribe a fixed number of opioid tablets. Most patients do not use all the opioids that they are prescribed at hospital discharge. This leads to an excess of opioids in the community, which can ultimately lead to misuse and diversion.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether a transition from universal opioid prescribing to a personalized, patient-specific protocol decreases morphine milligram equivalents prescribed at hospital discharge after cesarean delivery while adequately controlling pain.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing cesarean delivery before and after the implementation of a personalized opioid-prescribing practice at the time of hospital discharge. Each patient was prescribed scheduled ibuprofen and acetaminophen, with a prescription for oxycodone tablets equal to 5 times the morphine milligram equivalents used in the 24 hours before discharge, calculated via an electronic order set. The previous traditional cohorts were routinely prescribed 30 tablets of acetaminophen-codeine 300/30 mg. The primary outcome was morphine milligram equivalents prescribed at discharge. A hotline to address pain control issues after discharge was established, and calls, emergency department visits, and readmissions were examined. Statistical analyses was performed using chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum test, with a P value of <.05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Overall, 412 patients underwent cesarean delivery in the 6 weeks after initiation of the personalized prescribing protocol and were compared with 367 patients before the change. The median morphine milligram equivalents prescribed at discharge was lower with personalized prescribing (37.5 [interquartile range, 0-75] vs 135 [interquartile range, 135-135]; P<.001). Moreover, 176 patients (43%) were not prescribed opioids at discharge, which was a substantial change as all 367 patients in the traditional cohort received opioids at discharge (P<.001). Of note, 9 hotline phone calls were received; none required additional opioids after a 24-hour trial of scheduled ibuprofen, which none had taken before the call. In addition, 11 patients (2.7%) presented to the emergency department for pain evaluation, of which none required readmission or an outpatient prescription of opioids.

CONCLUSION: A personalized protocol for opioid prescriptions after cesarean delivery decreased the total morphine milligram equivalents and the number of opioid tablets at discharge, without hospital readmissions or need for rescue opioid prescriptions after discharge. Opioids released into our community will be reduced by more than 90,000 tablets per year, without demonstrable adverse effect.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:230

Enthalten in:

American journal of obstetrics and gynecology - 230(2024), 4 vom: 30. Apr., Seite 446.e1-446.e6

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Imo, Chinonye S [VerfasserIn]
Macias, Devin A [VerfasserIn]
McIntire, Donald D [VerfasserIn]
McGuire, Jennifer [VerfasserIn]
Nelson, David B [VerfasserIn]
Duryea, Elaine L [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

362O9ITL9D
Acetaminophen
Analgesics, Opioid
CD35PMG570
Cesarean delivery
Enhanced recovery
Hospital discharge
Ibuprofen
Journal Article
Morphine milligram equivalents
Opioids
Overprescribing
Oxycodone
Patient hotline
Personalized prescription protocol
Postpartum
Pregnancy
Readmissions
WK2XYI10QM

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 05.04.2024

Date Revised 05.04.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.ajog.2023.09.092

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM362745579