Opioid use has long been the subject of debate among medical professionals. The drugs provide relief for pain inflicted by several medical conditions. While their potency has made them popular in clinical practice, there are risks involved with their use.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released guidelines regarding the prescription of opioid use for chronic pain, prompted by the risk of overdose and addiction as death by opioid overdose occurs in an estimated 69,000 cases every year according to the World Health Organization.
The fact that opioids are so prevalent in healthcare makes them particularly important to study and control.
“Opioids can be used in the operating room when patients are under anesthesia, for pain management in certain populations and for sedation in our Intensive Care Unit when patients are intubated,” Doug Paige, a registered pharmacist and manager of operations at Martha Jefferson Hospital Pharmacy, said.
Dr. Traci Hedrick, a colorectal surgeon in the University Health System Surgery Department, replaced opioids with non-narcotic pain relievers in 2013 for post-operative care of colorectal surgery patients. Her results indicated a faster recovery with fewer side effects.
“Opioids have a lot of negative side effects that can affect recovery following surgery, such as delirium in older patients,” Hedrick said. “There is also a chance of [gastrointestinal] tract problems such as constipation or ileus, which is when the bowels essentially go into shock and stop functioning at all. Other side effects include drowsiness and itchiness. We don’t see these side effects with non-narcotic pain relievers.”
The side effects of opioids can be devastating for patients and often make their lives uncomfortable and painful. The risk of addiction to opioids is great, and can become a large hurdle for patients and medical professionals alike, whom may be trying to alleviate the symptoms of one medical problem and unknowingly create another.
“It is well documented that stopping chronic use of opioids can lead to withdrawal just like any other addictive substance,” Paige said.
However risky they may be, opioids are effective, and are therefore commonly used. The CDC estimates around one in five people with non-cancer related pain are prescribed opioids.
“No doubt there are people who are predisposed to addiction, however, the vast majority of people will not become addicted from using opioids following surgery,” Hedrick said. “However, the more opioids that are prescribed, the more opioids that are readily available in medicine cabinets and the like for potential abuse by other members of the household.”
Though the CDC issues guidelines for doctor, it has no power to enforce clinical practice.
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