Skip to main content
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Digital Health
    • Transformation
    • ESG
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Opinion
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • Data Center
    • Data Center Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • Newsletters
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Safety & Quality
June 11, 2021 03:56 PM

OTC meds more effective for post-surgery pain than opioids, study shows

Mari Devereaux
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Doctor explaining prescription medication to patient in clinic
    Getty Images/Hero Images

    There is more evidence that it is possible to treat post-surgery pain effectively using nonprescription medications instead of opioids, according to a recent study.

    A study published in the Annals of Surgery by a team from Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan's academic medical center, looked at data from 22,000 individuals who had common surgeries across 70 different hospitals in 2019.

    The study's authors found that medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen could be used for post-surgery pain instead of opioids, and did not lead to higher pain levels, serious issues during recovery or patient dissatisfaction.

    "This really builds on the foundation that we don't always need to use opioids with post-surgical patients," said Dr. Sterling Ransone, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

    Researchers analyzed 2019 data from a Michigan-based surgical care registry and found 86% of patients received an opioid prescription after a hernia, gallbladder, appendix, bowel, thyroid or gynecological operation, and 14% received non-opioid painkiller prescriptions. The researchers surveyed these patients about their experience after they had a chance to recover.

    Around 82% of both groups said they were highly satisfied with their care and 93% said they had no regret about their surgery.

    Twelve percent of both groups experienced an emergency department visit, readmission, or re-operation within the first month after their initial operation.

    Those who received non-opioid analgesics were 5% more likely to report no pain during the first week after surgery than those who received opioids and slightly more likely to say they had the best possible quality of life after the surgery—66% for non-opioid vs 63% for opioid users.

    Dr. Jane Ballantyne, professor of anesthesiology, and pain medicine at the University of Washington and president of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, said studies like these are important because they validate what clinicians have been saying for a while, that there is "pretty good pain relief" from mild analgesics like ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

    Still, Ransone said it is good that people who do not receive opioids following surgery generally do not suffer, as there is a concern that patients given opioids could develop a tolerance and potentially become addicted to the drug later in their lives.

    It's, important for healthcare professionals to talk to patients about different options to manage their pain postoperatively, such as hypnosis, cardiac coherence or acupuncture, he said.

    "We need to engage in shared decision making between the patient and the physician on how they would like to be treated," Ransone said. "You need to explain to them how you can best treat their pain and explain that treating pain isn't necessarily taking a pill."

    That doesn't mean opioids post-surgery should be banned, since different procedures can cause different types of pain and individuals have various pain tolerance levels.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests physicians prescribe non-opioid analgesics and non-pharmacologic therapies first post-surgery. If opioids are necessary, they should be prescribed at the lowest effective dosage for a short period of time.

    All analgesics like Tylenol or Advil could cause gastric ulcers, kidney malfunction or blood platelets irregularities, but they don't have the same addiction risks or other side effects, such as drowsiness.

    "Nobody's saying you should never use opiates for acute pain management," Ballantyne said. "What they are saying is there are a lot of procedures that are associated with mild to moderate pain, where alternatives may actually be better."

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Cleveland-clinic-for web_i.jpg
    Increase in hospital police forces brings criticisms, warnings
    home-infusion
    Rise in home infusion therapy leads to questions on safety, cost
    Most Popular
    1
    More healthcare organizations at risk of credit default, Moody's says
    2
    Centene fills out senior executive team with new president, COO
    3
    SCAN, CareOregon plan to merge into the HealthRight Group
    4
    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan unveils big push that lets physicians take on risk, reap rewards
    5
    Bright Health weighs reverse stock split as delisting looms
    Sponsored Content
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Digital Health
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • Newsletters
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing