TDNet Discover

Background: Referencing the Chronic Opioid Use After Surgery study in 2017, the economic cost of prescription opioid-related overdose, abuse, and dependence exceeds $78.5 billion annually, with the majority of costs related to health care, substance abuse treatment, and lost productivity amidst the opioid epidemic. Postoperative pain management remains a critical component of patient care, with ongoing efforts to reduce opioid reliance due to the risk of adverse effects and dependency. As part of a quality improvement initiative, healthcare institutions can be offered revised anesthesia protocols that incorporate dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to general anesthesia in adult surgical patients. This change aims to enhance pain control while minimizing opioid requirements in the immediate postoperative period. The purpose of this executive summary is to predict whether the implementation of this updated protocol would effectively reduce patient-reported pain scores and decrease opioid consumption within the first 24 hours following surgery, as framed by our PICOT question.