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Johns Hopkins Panel Recommends Post-Op Opioid Guidelines

August 20, 2018

A Johns Hopkins University panel has released guidelines for prescribing opioids after 20 common surgical procedures, noting that post-op overprescribing been a major driver of the nation’s addiction crisis.

The 30-member panel, made up of healthcare providers and patients, recommended capping the max number of pills depending on the procedures. Among them: breast, thoracic, orthopedic and cardiac surgery as well as hysterectomies and cochlear implants.

In three of the cases, it recommended less addictive alternatives be given; it suggested one to 15 pills after 11 of the procedures and no more than 16 to 20 tabs after six of them. The orthopedic surgeries warranted the highest range of opioids and the otolaryngology the lowest range, with a suggested zero pills for cochlear implants and zero to 15 for thyroidectomies.

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