Variation in postoperative narcotic prescribing after pediatric appendectomy

• Published in: Journal of pediatric surgery 2019-09, Vol.54 (9), p.1866-1871
• Main Authors: Cairo, Sarah B., Calabro, Kristen A., Bowdish, Elizabeth, Reilly, Cara, Watt, Stacey, Rothstein, David H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent surgery; Appendectomy - statistics & numerical data; Child; Child, Preschool; Drug Prescriptions - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Narcotics - therapeutic use; Opioid epidemic; Opioid use; Pain, Postoperative - drug therapy; Pediatric surgery; Postoperative pain control; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 0022-3468; 1531-5037
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.11.015

Overuse of prescription opioids by both pediatric and adult patients has garnered significant attention in recent years. Educational interventions have been shown to decrease prescription opioids post-operatively in the adult population; similar data have not previously been reported in pediatrics. Educational interventions included staff education, institution of opioid standardization protocol, and distribution of educational materials to families. Chart review was performed pre- and post-intervention to compare prescribing practices following appendectomy in patients less than 19 years of age. Follow-up phone calls were used to assess patient satisfaction and pain control. Three hundred thirteen cases were identified pre-intervention [PRE] and compared to 119 cases postintervention [POST]. 84.3% of patients were given a prescription for opioids at time of discharge in the PRE cohort compared to 6.7% (p