New guidelines by the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) Outcomes and Evidence-Based Practice Committee aim to steer surgeons away from excess opioid prescribing in postoperative settings.
The committee recommends providers first recognize the risk of misuse and abuse in pediatric populations and educate families on expectations and methods of pain management before surgery and postoperative disposal when opioids are prescribed, reported Lorraine I. Kelley-Quon, MD, MSHS, of the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and colleagues.
