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. 2022 Sep 1;135(3):653-658.
doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005923. Epub 2022 Feb 2.

Situational Awareness of Opioid Consumption: The Missing Link to Reducing Dependence After Surgery?

Daniel T Engelman  1 , Cheryl Crisafi  1 , Taylor Hodle  2 , John Stiles  2 , Brian H Nathanson  3 , Alexander Zarbock  4 , Michael C Grant  5
Affiliations

Situational Awareness of Opioid Consumption: The Missing Link to Reducing Dependence After Surgery?

Daniel T Engelman et al. Anesth Analg. .

Abstract

A tool for collecting and analyzing morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) can be used to overcome barriers to situational awareness around opioid utilization in the setting of multimodal pain management. Our software application (App) has facilitated data collection, analysis, and benchmarking in a manner that is not logistically feasible using manual methods. Real-time postoperative tracking of MME over the course of an episode of care can be prohibitively labor-intensive, and teams must have practical strategies to overcome this obstacle. In view of the link between the magnitude of opioid prescriptions at discharge and persistent opioid use after cardiac surgery, we believe that improving situational awareness among the patient care team is a vital first step in reducing opioid dependence after cardiac surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: See Disclosures at the end of the article.

References

    1. Brummett CM, Waljee JF, Goesling J, et al. New persistent opioid use after minor and major surgical procedures in US adults. JAMA Surg. 2017;152:e170504.
    1. Brescia AA, Waljee JF, Hu HM, et al. Impact of prescribing on new persistent opioid use after cardiothoracic surgery. Ann Thorac Surg. 2019;108:1107–1113.
    1. Brown CR, Chen Z, Khurshan F, Groeneveld PW, Desai ND. Development of persistent opioid use after cardiac surgery. JAMA Cardiol. 2020;5:889–896.
    1. Clement KC, Canner JK, Lawton JS, Whitman GJR, Grant MC, Sussman MS. Predictors of new persistent opioid use after coronary artery bypass grafting. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2020;160:954–963.e4.
    1. Clement KC, Canner JK, Whitman GJR, Lawton JS, Grant MC, Sussman MS. New persistent opioid use after aortic and mitral valve surgery in commercially insured patients. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020;110:829–835.

MeSH terms

Substances