The United States is currently experiencing an explosive opioid epidemic. In 2014 alone, 28,647 Americans died from an opioid associated overdose; the annual death toll has increased by over 300% since 2000. The epidemic poses a complex scenario for physicians administering treatment for postoperative pain, as opioids are key analgesic agents in treating moderate to severe pain. In order to reduce the patients risk for long term opioid use and the associated side effects, physicians have begun shifting to multimodal analgesic approaches to treat postoperative pain. These approaches have been found to be similarly efficacious, while also reducing opioid usage and associated side effects, such as: nausea, vomiting, and ileus. This study proposes a multimodal analgesic approach, which the investigators believe will reduce short and long term opioid usage, the associated side effects, and the financial burden. Intravenous acetaminophen is an effective medication for both primary and adjunctive pain management, however its use is limited by a high cost to perceived benefit ratio. Oral acetaminophen is a relatively inexpensive option, although perhaps less effective than the IV option, and also often not feasible to utilize in the immediate post-operative period when patients are unable to safely swallow pills. The hypothesis of this investigation is to understand if adding intravenous acetaminophen to the perioperative care regimen after lumbar spinal surgery will result in improved pain management in the perioperative period while decreasing opioid usage and related complications.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
166
Intravenously administered acetaminophen.
Orally administered acetaminophen.
Hospital for Special Surgery
New York, New York, United States
Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for back and legs
Self reported pain frequency and intensity at 24 hour postoperative intervals until patient is discharged, at 6 week and 6 month follow-up. The scale is scored on a 100 mm line, with 0 being no pain and 100 being worst pain imaginable.
Time frame: Change from baseline VAS at 6 months postoperative
Length of Stay (LOS)
Measured in total hours until discharge from hospital
Time frame: Immediate postoperative
Opioid Equivalent Dosing during Hospital Stay
Measured every 24 hours postoperative until discharge from hospital
Time frame: Postoperative
Time to Ambulation
Measured in total hours postoperative until patient is ambulatory
Time frame: Immediate postoperative
Oswestry Disability Index Version 2.1 (ODI)
Time frame: Preoperative, 6 weeks and 6 months postoperative
Long Term Opioid Usage
Time frame: 6 months Postoperative
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.