Epidemiology of Opioid Prescribing After Discharge From Surgical Procedures Among Adults
Authors' conclusion
In this cross-sectional study of the distribution of postoperative opioid prescribing in the United States, a small number of common procedures accounted for a large proportion of MMEs dispensed after surgery.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged 18 to 64 years, privately insured or Medicaid, undergoing surgical procedures with discharge between December 1, 2020, and November 30, 2021 (Merative MarketScan, US)
- Participants
- 1,040,934 surgical procedures
- Exposure
- 18 to 44 years vs 45 to 64 years
- 18 to 44 yearsn = 457,016
- 45 to 64 yearsn = 583,918
- Outcome
- Proportion of total MMEs dispensed within 3 days of discharge attributable to each procedure type, by age group
- Follow-up
- Within 3 days of discharge
Methodological detailsclaims database analysis
- Claims database analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Proportion of total MMEs dispensed after surgery, top procedures
| Group | Value | Cesarean delivery, morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) | Arthroplasty of knee, MMEs | Arthroscopy of knee, % of total MMEs | Arthroscopy of knee, MMEs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 44 years | 19.4% | 11 418 658 of 58 825 364 | |||
| 45 to 64 years | 9.7% | 5 885 305 of 60 591 564 | 6.5% | 3 912 616 |
Value
18 to 44 years19.4%
45 to 64 years9.7%
Cesarean delivery, morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs)
18 to 44 years11 418 658 of 58 825 364
45 to 64 years— not stated in the abstract
Arthroplasty of knee, MMEs
18 to 44 years— not stated in the abstract
45 to 64 years5 885 305 of 60 591 564
Arthroscopy of knee, % of total MMEs
18 to 44 years— not stated in the abstract
45 to 64 years6.5%
Arthroscopy of knee, MMEs
18 to 44 years— not stated in the abstract
45 to 64 years3 912 616
- 18 to 44 years: cesarean delivery accounted for the highest proportion of total MMEs
- 19.4%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Procedures with opioid prescriptions dispensed
- 503 058 (48.3%)
Original publication
Epidemiology of Opioid Prescribing After Discharge From Surgical Procedures Among Adults. JAMA Netw Open. Published 3 June 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →