Comparison of total morphine milligram equivalents at hospital discharge between opioid-naive and opioid-experienced surgical patients: a single-centre retrospective cohort study
Main findingResult — go to the resultDifference 15.4 MME day-1 95% CI 7.4–23.4Authors' conclusion
Preoperative opioid experience strongly predicted postoperative opioid requirements and discharge prescribing.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing surgery with postoperative intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), 2016 to 2023; trauma and neuraxial/regional block cases excluded
- Participants
- 406 adults
- Exposure
- Opioid-experienced vs opioid-naive surgical patients
- Outcome
- Opioid dose at discharge in MME
- Follow-up
- Hospital discharge
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Difference
15.4 MME day-1
95% CI 7.4–23.4
P < 0.001
By group
Opioid-experienced vs Opioid-naive
difference 15.4 MME day-1 (95% CI 7.4–23.4); P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | Difference (MME day-1) (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total PCA use in MME | 52.0 (13.1–90.8) | P = 0.009 | |
| −50050100Difference, MME day-1 (linear scale) |
PCA use per additional preoperative morphine milligram equivalents (MME)
- Increase in PCA use during hospitalisation per additional preoperative MME
- 0.9 (MME day-1; 95% CI 0.2-1.6; P=0.017)
Original publication
Comparison of total morphine milligram equivalents at hospital discharge between opioid-naive and opioid-experienced surgical patients: a single-centre retrospective cohort study. BJA Open. Published 17 October 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →