Burns, Jessica

Background: Supracondylar humerus fractures (SCH) are the most common type of elbow fracture in children, with many cases requiring surgery. Treatment of postoperative pain for SCH has high variability, but can often be treated effectively with minimal or no opioids. Furthermore, there is significant morbidity related to pediatric opioid consumption. The goal of this study was to characterize prescription patterns in the United States following closed reduction and percutaneous pinning (CRPP) of SCH. Methods: All patients aged 10 or younger years who underwent CRPP of SCH from January 2010 to December 2021 were identified in the PearlDiver Mariner Claims Database. The primary outcome was postoperative pain medication prescriptions in the 30 days following SCH CRPP. Patient demographics, prescription duration, and morphine milligram equivalents (MME) were analyzed. Multivariable-log-binomial mixed regression models were constructed to assess factors associated with increased opioid prescription. Results: In total, 43,611 SCH CRPP cases in patients aged 10 or younger were identified from 2010 to 2021. Throughout the study period, 48.6% of patients (21,191/43,611) received and filled a narcotic pain prescription. The percentage of patients receiving opioid medication decreased from 54.7% in 2010 to 27.4% in 2021. Opioid prescriptions totaled a mean of 6.1±2.1 days of narcotics with a mean of 79.2 MME prescribed per patient. Increased patient age, increased Elixhauser comorbidity index, and Medicaid insurance were all associated with increased opioid prescription (P<0.001). Living in the Northeast, increased family income, and commercial insurance were associated with decreased opioid prescriptions (P<0.001). Conclusions: Nearly half of the patients over the past decade treated with CRPP for SCH received a narcotic prescription. However, there has been a steady decline in the proportion of patients being prescribed opioids, with only 27.4% receiving opioids in 2021. Further, patients with increased comorbidities or those insured by Medicaid with lower mean family income may be at risk for increased opioid prescription. While efforts have been made to reduce opioid overprescribing, there continues to be room for further reduction in opioid utilization after CRPP for SCH moving forward.

Purpose: This study aims to describe the incidence of postoperative urinary retention among pediatric patients undergoing orthopedic surgery and identify risk factors. Methods: The Pediatric Health Information System was used to identify children aged 1–18 years who underwent orthopedic surgery. Collected from each patient’s record were demographic information, principal procedure during hospitalization, the presence of neurologic/neuromuscular conditions and other complex chronic medical conditions, the total postoperative length of stay, and the presence of postoperative urinary retention. Results: The overall incidence of postoperative urinary retention was 0.38%. Children with complex chronic neuromuscular conditions (OR 11.54 (95% CI 9.60–13.88), p = < 0.001) and complex chronic non-neuromuscular medical conditions (OR 5.07 (95% CI 4.11–6.25), p ≤ 0.001) had a substantially increased incidence of urinary retention. Surgeries on the spine (OR 3.98 (95% CI 3.28–4.82, p ≤ 0.001) and femur/hip (OR 3.63 (95% CI 3.03–4.36), p ≤ 0.001) were also associated with an increased incidence. Conclusions: Children with complex chronic neuromuscular conditions have a substantially increased risk of experiencing postoperative urinary retention. Complex chronic non-neuromuscular medical conditions and surgeries to the spine, hip, and femur also carry a notably increased risk.