Opioid prescribing in emergency general surgery varies significantly across hospitals, with discrepancies of 1.5 to 3.7 times in morphine equivalents. While most discharges follow elective guidelines (75%-96%), compliance drops sharply for colectomy, with only 4% adherence compared to 25% for appendectomy. Increased comorbidity and ASA classification correlate with non-guideline prescriptions, highlighting an urgent need for improved opioid stewardship tailored to the emergency context.
Journal Article by Johnson PL, Picart JK (…) Hemmila MR et 5 al. in BMC Surg
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