Intravenous Acetaminophen Reduces Length of Stay Via Mediation of Postoperative Opioid Consumption After Posterior Spinal Fusion in a Pediatric Cohort

Objectives: Since approval of intravenous acetaminophen (IV APAP), its use has become quite common without strong positive evidence. Our goal was to determine the effect of IV APAP on length of hospital stay (LOS) via mediation of opioid-related side effects in pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: After Institutional Review Board approval, 114 adolescents undergoing posterior spinal fusion were prospectively recruited and managed postoperatively with patient-controlled analgesia and adjuvant therapy. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the use of IV APAP: control (n=70) and treatment (n=44). Association of IV APAP use with opioid outcomes was analyzed using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)-adjusted propensity scores to balance the 2 groups for all significant covariates except postoperative opioid consumption. Mediation analysis was carried out for LOS with IV APAP as the independent variable and morphine consumption as the mediator. Results: Oral intake was delayed by ∼1 day (P
Source: The Clinical Journal of Pain - Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research