Reducing postoperative narcotic use in opioid naive patients utilizing a standardized opioid titration protocol

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorLee, Kyoung Eun
dc.contributor.authorSchoolcraft, Mary Katherine
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWalker-Smith, Tammy
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8447-8228en_US
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-11T18:18:06Z
dc.date.available2021-10-11T18:18:06Z
dc.date.issued2021-08
dc.description.abstractBackground: Due to the current opioid crisis, physicians and policymakers are increasingly focusing on ways to decrease opioid overuse and misuse in the United States. Surgeons are noted to be some of the highest prescribers of opioids. When prescriptions are issued for acute postoperative pain management to opioid naive patients, the risk for acute opioid use progressing to chronic use can become problematic. Objective: To implement an evidence-based standardized opioid titration protocol postoperatively to improve clinical practice and reduce long-term postoperative opioid exposure in the orthopedic clinic. Method: To improve quality of care, we developed and implemented a standardized opioid titration protocol and applied it to 25 postoperative patients over a six-week period. The protocol consisted of a four-step process, which allowed opioid narcotics to be systematically weaned down consistently over a six-week process. We evaluated patient pain levels and prescription refills biweekly to determine efficacy. Results: 98% (n=24) of patients experienced satisfactory pain relief by week 6, 71% (n=17) of patients stopped opioid use by week 2, and 100% (n=25) of patients did not require further refills after 4 weeks. When compared to prior prescribing practices, overall refill rates were found to be significantly decreased by 10% (p= 0.025). Implications: Implementation of a standardized opioid titration protocol was associated with fewer opioid pills being prescribed, fewer requests for opioid prescription and fewer refills, in addition to lower pain scores.en_US
dc.description.collegeCollege of Nursing and Health Sciencesen_US
dc.description.departmentNursing Practiceen_US
dc.format.extent46 pagesen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/89806
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subjectopioid prescriptionen_US
dc.subjectacute painen_US
dc.subjecttapering protocolen_US
dc.subjectpostoperative painen_US
dc.subjectsurgeryen_US
dc.titleReducing postoperative narcotic use in opioid naive patients utilizing a standardized opioid titration protocolen_US
dc.typeTexten_US
dc.type.genreDissertationen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineNursing Practice DNPen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Nursing Practiceen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Schoolcraft_MaryKatherine_Dissertation.pdf.pdf
Size:
1.15 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Project Report
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.72 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Dissertations
Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Reports