Opioid versus non-opioid postoperative pain management in otolaryngology

The opioid epidemic in the United States has had devastating consequences, with many opioid-related deaths and a significant economic toll. Opioids have a significant role in postoperative pain management. Here we aim to analyze differences in postoperative opioid and non-opioid pain medications regimens following common otolaryngological surgeries between two large tertiary care medical centers: the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, USA (HMC) and The Chaim Sheba Medical center, Israel (SMC). A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing common otolaryngological procedures during the years 2017–2019 was conducted at two tertiary care centers, one in the U.S. and the other in Israel. Types and doses of postoperative pain medications ordered and administered during admission were analyzed. Average doses ordered and administered in 24 h were calculated. Opioid medications were converted to a standardized unit of morphine milliequivalents (MME). Chi-square test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare the groups. The study included 204 patients (103 U.S., 101 Israel). Patient demographics were similar except for a longer length of stay in Israel (p < 0.01). In the U.S., 95