Provider Alert! Guidelines for Opioid Prescribing in Children and Adolescents After Surgery
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 17.3% of those who abuse prescription painkillers are prescribed medication from a physician. Management of post-surgical pain is one of the most common reasons that young adults are prescribed opioids rather than over-the-counter pain medications. The American Pediatric Surgical Association assembled an expert panel of health care professionals caring for children who require surgery; reviewed literature regarding opioid use and risks unique to pediatric populations and developed a broad framework for evidence-based framework...