Observational study links high-risk preexisting substance use to increased opioid use post-surgery in adolescents, suggesting the need for screening.
High-risk preoperative substance use was associated with increased postoperative opioid use in opioid-naïve adolescents following elective ambulatory orthopedic surgery. These findings, although limited by small sample size, highlight the need for presurgery substance use screening to guide personalized strategies, potentially reduce opioid use, improve pain management, and lower misuse risk.
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Groenewald et al. (2026) studied this question.
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