Following joint and spine surgery, many patients reported unused opioids as well as not knowing safe opioid storage and disposal strategies, according to a study published in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
Researchers conducted a prospective cohort study at a large tertiary care hospital. Study participants included adults, older than 18 years, undergoing elective same-day or inpatient joint and spine surgery from August 2016 to November 2016.
Researchers assessed patient-reported outcomes at two-day, two-week, one-month and six-month intervals using patient surveys via the telephone.
Of 140 study participants, 35 percent took preoperative opioids and 47 percent were women. Researchers completed one-month follow-ups for 115 individuals and six-month follow-ups for 110 individuals.
Researchers found among patients who stopped opioid therapy, 73 percent reported possession of unused opioids at the one-month follow-up and 34 percent reported the same at the six-month follow-up. At one month, 46 percent reported having 20-plus unused pills and 37 percent had 200-plus morphine milligram equivalents.
Ninety-one percent of patients reported unsafe storage and 96 percent reported failure to dispose of opioids at the one-month follow-up.