Please confirm that an ethics committee approval has been applied for or granted: Not relevant (see information at the bottom of this page)

Application for ESRA Abstract Prizes: I don’t wish to apply for the ESRA Prizes

Background and Aims Opioid use in the pediatric surgical setting has been successful in pain management. It’s clear that they reduce pain, bring faster extubation, and shorter ICU stay. Their analgesic effect outweighs their adverse side effects. Prescription drug monitoring has focused on adult patients leaving limited investigation effects during their neurodevelopmental period. Our aim is to examine opioid use in the pediatric community and their effects on opioid use.

Methods A comprehensive review from six databases was conducted in search of peer-reviewed journals. The journals considered were focused on opioids given in a surgical setting in patients under the age of 18. The research uncovered 10 peer-reviewed articles published from 2018-2022 that were included.

Results An increase of 4.8% of opioid use and refill of prescription was noted. There was an increase of opioids due to their analgesic relief compared to other medications. Opioid abuse has increased from 1999 to 2016 especially within the 15 to 19 years and the 0 to 4 years population. There was a decrease in use when prescriptions were limited to five days and the patient had a longer hospital stay. There was also evidence to show a risk of neurotoxicity in younger patients with the use of opioids at a younger age.

Conclusions Opioid pediatric deaths have increased in the last few years. There is still limited information on opioid effects. Future research should focus on longitudinal research of opioids in pediatrics. Identifying alternative types of pain management and at-risk patients to addictions is beneficial towards public health.