Prevalence and Persistence of Prescription Opioid Use Following Hospital Discharge After Childbirth: An Australian Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors' conclusion
The results of this cohort study indicate that Australian women have a higher prevalence of opioid use following CD compared to VB. One in 19 women dispensed an opioid postdischarge used opioids persistently.
Study context
- Population
- Women dispensed an opioid within 14 days of hospital discharge after childbirth, New South Wales, Australia, 2012–2018
- Participants
- 38,832 women
- Exposure
- Vaginal birth vs cesarean delivery
- Outcome
- Persistent opioid use
Methodological detailslinked hospitalization and medicine dispensing data
- Linked hospitalization and medicine dispensing data
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
P < 0.001
- Overall prevalence of persistent opioid use
- 5.4% (95% CI, 5.1-5.6)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Prevalence of opioid use within 14 days of discharge, 2012–2018
- Cesarean delivery (CD), public hospital
- 16.6%-21.0%
- CD, private hospital
- 9.8%-19.5%
- Vaginal birth (VB), public hospital
- 1.5%-1.5%
- VB, private hospital
- 1.2%-1.4%
- Higher following discharge from public vs private hospitals
Most commonly dispensed opioids
- Oxycodone
- 44.8% (95% CI, 44.3-45.3)
- Codeine
- 42.1% (95% CI, 41.6-42.6)
- Tramadol
- 12.9% (95% CI, 12.6-13.2)
Characteristics associated with persistent opioid use
- Smoking during pregnancy, age <25 years, remote areas, public hospital discharge, history of opioid use disorder, other substance use disorder, mental health diagnosis, prior use of prescription opioids, nonopioid analgesics or benzodiazepines
- Logistic regressions each including a single characteristic
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Prevalence and Persistence of Prescription Opioid Use Following Hospital Discharge After Childbirth: An Australian Population-Based Cohort Study. Anesth Analg. Published 15 June 2023. doi:10.
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