An analysis of a large US administrative claims database suggests that new persistent opioid use occurred in nearly 10% of opioid-naive patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Given the variation in the amounts of opioid prescribed and the increased risk of persistent use with greater amounts of opioid received, protocolized prescribing should be adopted to standardize and improve the care of these patients.
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Habermann, E.B. Need for protocolized opioid prescribing after cardiac surgery. Nat Rev Cardiol 17, 683–684 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-020-00438-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-020-00438-8
