based on data from cohorts of women before and after the introduction of the protocols.
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The findings were released ahead of the study’s scheduled presentation at the annual clinical and scientific meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG canceled the meeting and released abstracts for press coverage.
ERAS protocols have been introduced in surgical specialties including colorectal, urologic, gynecologic, and hepatobiliary – with noted benefits to patients and the health care system, wrote Nnamdi I. Gwacham, DO, of Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, N.J., and colleagues.
The researchers explored the impact of ERAS on reduction in opioid use after cesarean sections at a community teaching hospital in a retrospective study also published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The study population included a historical cohort of 2,109 patients from 2018 before the establishment of the ERAS pathway and 1,463 patients since the ERAS pathway was established in 2019.*
Significantly fewer patients in the ERAS group required opioids, compared with the historical group (1,766 vs. 341). A total of 8,082 opioid units were used before the introduction of the ERAS pathway, compared with 803 units used since its introduction, Dr. Gwacham and associates reported. The study was a Donald F. Richardson Prize Paper.
The ERAS pathway consisted of received transversus abdominis plane blocks in the immediate postoperative period (given to 98% of the patients), and all patients were started on “a scheduled multimodal analgesia with a combination of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and dextromethorphan until discharge,” the researchers wrote. Patients received opioids only if their pain was not well controlled with the ERAS protocol.
In addition, patients who received ERAS had significantly shorter hospital stays than the historical group (3.19 days vs. 2.63 days) and incurred a significantly lower average direct cost ($4,290 vs. $3,957).
The groups were not significantly different in age, race, or body mass index.
Dr. Angela Martin
“Given the current opioid epidemic in America, researching ways to reduce their use is an urgent matter,” Angela Martin, MD, of the University of Kansas, Kansas City, said in an interview.
She thought the study findings were to be expected based on research in other areas. “Given the trends and ability to reduced opioid use with ERAS in other specialties, it does not surprise me that women recovering from cesarean sections are similar.”
The take-home message for clinicians: “Begin thinking outside of the box when it comes to pain control,” emphasized Dr. Martin, who was not a part of this study. “Opioids don’t have to be the first line medications for postoperative pain management.”
She added that additional directions for research could include the patient perspective on postoperative pain management after a cesarean delivery. “Alternative options to opioids would be even more enticing if the inpatient experience was also improved,” said Dr. Martin, who is a member of the Ob.Gyn News editorial advisory board.
The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose. Dr. Martin had no relevant financial disclosures.
SOURCE: Gwacham NI et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 May;135:2S. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000662880.08512.6b.
*This article was updated on 4/29/2020.