Reducing Opioid Use in the Postpartum Patient: A Retrospective Study on a Single Center Intervention

Abstract

The opioid epidemic has been of significant concern in American society as it continues to worsen. Overdose deaths remain a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. The majority of overdose deaths involve opioids.1 Women are often exposed to opioids for the first time postpartum. Opioid administration postpartum has become common practice, not to discredit postpartum pain, which is often excruciating. Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center led a quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed at reducing the burden of opioid use in pregnant patients, especially postpartum. Over time, Pomona Valley Hospital introduced several indirect and direct interventions to provide our patients with the comfort they desired and deserved. The primary outcome and impact of our initiative and implementation saw a significant reduction in the overall necessity of opioid administration, along with improved outcomes for our patients concerning comfort, care, and alleviation of symptoms postpartum. Our intervention shows that narcotic use is not necessary for postpartum care, and more conservative measures can often control symptoms. There will be breakthrough cases requiring opioid administration, but for the vast majority of pregnancies, pain can often be controlled by non-narcotic means. With the worsening nature of the opioid epidemic, we must lessen the burden narcotics have placed on our society. As a mother’s first exposure to opioids occurs commonly during and after pregnancy, it is essential to break the cycle and work towards reducing opioid use and the possibility of addiction through early intervention by encouraging conservative means for pain management.