A substantial number of preventable deaths and adverse events are related to the use of opioids, the most severe being opioid-induced ventilatory impairment (OIVI).1 This is one of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation’s top, ongoing initiatives to ensure that “no patient shall be harmed by opioid-induced respiratory depression in the postoperative period.”2 We know that opioid-related adverse drug events (ORADEs) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates. Several coexisting conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), increase a patient’s risk for OIVI. In fact, expert consultants for the ASA Practice Guidelines for the Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea agree that preprocedure identification of a patient’s OSA status improves perioperative outcomes. Ample evidence exists demonstrating that a patient’s perioperative risk depends on both the severity of the OSA, the invasiveness of the surgical procedure and the need for postoperative opioids.3 Screening, identification and optimization of populations most...
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February 2020
The Surgical Patient at Risk for Opioid-induced Ventilatory Impairment
Brooke E. Trainer, M.D.;
Brooke E. Trainer, M.D.
Committee on Patient Safety and Education
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Richard D. Urman, M.D., M.B.A., FASA
Richard D. Urman, M.D., M.B.A., FASA
Chair, Abstract Subcommittee on Patient Safety and Practice Management
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ASA Monitor February 2020, Vol. 84, 26–28.
Citation
Brooke E. Trainer, Richard D. Urman; The Surgical Patient at Risk for Opioid-induced Ventilatory Impairment. ASA Monitor 2020; 84:26–28
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