Elder adults who receive pain medication after surgery may be at advanced risk of becoming addicted, according to a new study available in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. Physicians often set down opioids, including codeine and oxycodone, after outpatient surgeries.
While these drugs are demonstrated to be efficient for temporary pain relief, they are also coupled with side effects together with sedation, constipation and mouthful of air problems, as well as addiction.
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 400,000 Canadian patients ages 66 and older who conventional an opioid recommendation within seven days of undergo surgery for cataracts, gallbladder removal, prostate tissue removal, or varicose vein stripping.
They found that more than 10 percent of the patients who received an opioid after a surgery were identified as long-term opioid users one year after surgery. They also originate patients were 3.7 times more likely to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on a long-term basis if they received a prescription for the medicine within seven days after surgery.
"We tried to look at what various of the events are that start people on the road to sensitive or chronic use of opioids," said Dr. Chaim Bell, associate professor of medicine at University of Toronto and co-author of the study. "It's much easier to prevent the initiation of the medication than wean people off it later. Everyone should get pain relief, but the painkiller and the dose should be tailored to the specific patient." (Read More...)
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