Pre-operative chronic opioid or glucocorticoid use and mortality after noncardiac surgery

BACKGROUND: The chronic use of opioids and glucocorticoids is associated with serious side effects. Moreover, both medications are related to poor long-term postoperative outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the association between pre-operative chronic opioid and glucocorticoid use and 90-day mortality after noncardiac surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective, population-based cohort study. SETTING: Single tertiary academic hospital. PATIENTS: The study enrolled adult (≥18 years of age) patients admitted to Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, between January 2012 and December 2018 for planned, elective, noncardiac surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The study compared the 90-day mortality for patients using opioids or glucocorticoids chronically (≥3 months) prior to surgery and for opioid-naïve and glucocorticoid-naïve patients. RESULTS: A total of 112 606 patients were included in the study. Among them, 107 843 (95.9%) were opioid-naïve and glucocorticoid-naïve patients; 3373 (3.0%), 1199 (1.1%) and 191 patients (0.2%) were chronic users of opioids, glucocorticoids or both, respectively. In the multivariable model, compared with opioid-naïve and glucocorticoid-naïve patients, the odds of dying within 90 days were significantly higher for chronic users of opioids [3.56-fold; 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 2.36 to 5.38; P < 0.001], glucocorticoids (4.17-fold; 95% CI 3.28 to 5.29; P < 0.001) and combined opioids and glucocorticoids (7.66-fold; 95% CI 3.91 to 15.01; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Chronic pre-operative use of opioids and glucocorticoids, together or individually, were associated with increased 90-day mortalities after noncardiac surgery, compared with opioid-naïve and glucocorticoid-naïve patients. Our results suggest that chronic pre-operative use of opioids and glucocorticoids should be managed carefully.