In a JAMA Surgery-published study of 34,186 surgical patients, 23.1 percent reported preoperative opioid use.
Researchers examined patients undergoing surgery at a tertiary care academic medical center. They collected data as a part of large prospective institutional research registries from March 1, 2010, through April 30, 2016.
The study shows the most commonly used opioids were:
• Hydrocodone bitartrate: 59.4 percent
• Tramadol hydrochloride: 21.2 percent
• Oxycodone hydrochloride: 18.3 percent
The following factors were independently associated with preoperative opioid use:
• Age of 31 to 40 years
• Tobacco use
• Current use
• Illicit drug use
• Higher pain severity
• Depression
• Higher Fibromyalgia Survey scores
• Lower life satisfaction
• More medical comorbidities
• Charlson Comorbidity Index (adjusted odds ratio, 1.29)
Preoperative opioid use was most commonly reported by patients undergoing orthopedic (65.1 percent) and neurosurgical spinal (55.1 percent) procedures and least common among patients undergoing thoracic procedures (15.7 percent).