Utilization of ERAS Protocols to Reduce Postoperative Opioid Consumption

The use of perioperative opioids for pain management can come with great consequences as the opioid crisis is more prevalent than ever. In the US, nearly 70% of all opioid tablets prescribed after surgery become problematic as they are diverted and not used for medical benefit (Soffin et al., 2019). Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines were developed over two decades ago with over 17 tools to improve postoperative recovery as well as reduce the economic burdens of healthcare; including the burden of the opioid crisis (Beloeil et al., 2019). By retrospective chart review, analysis of potential benefits in reducing postoperative opioid consumption as well as pain scores led to developing suggestions for implementation of ERAS items into practice at the project site. With no current practice guidelines in effect, the study found that implementation of multimodal anesthesia through combinations of ERAS items can reduce overall fentanyl consumption (p<.001) as well as reduce pain for up to 4 hours after surgery (p=.022). By evaluating current practice at the project site, recommendations should be made to explore the benefits of implementing combinations of ERAS items to promote better postoperative recovery as well as reduce the burden of the prescription opioid crisis.

Creator

• Sparks, Nicholas

Language

• English

Palabra Clave

• pain management
• perioperative opioids
• postoperative recovery
• opioid crisis
• Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines

Date created

• 2022

Resource type

• Research Paper

Rights statement

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/