Risk Factors for Opioid Use Disorders in Adult Postsurgical Patients

The use of opioids in the treatment of chronic pain is one of the most controversial topics in medicine today. Many studies have proposed that the postoperative period is a vulnerable time for patients at risk for developing an opioid use disorder. Many patients are prescribed opioids for management of their postsurgical pain and continue using them for prolonged amounts of time following their surgeries. Some populations are more likely to develop an opioid use disorder following exposure to opioid medications than others. In this review, the authors discuss the patient-level risk factors for the abuse of these drugs in postsurgical patients.