Persistent Opioid Use Common After Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator and Pacemaker Procedures

The opioid epidemic has claimed countless lives. Prescribing of opioids after surgical procedures has been a major source of new opioid use leading to persistent opioid use. Whether this extends to electrophysiology procedures is not well studied.

Using a national administrative claims database, researchers examined opioid use in adults who underwent cardiac implantable electronic device procedures from 2004 through 2018. Exclusion criteria were opioid use in the prior 180 days and undergoing another procedure with anesthesia in the 180-day-postprocedure period.

Of the 143,400 patients included in the study, 15,316 (11%) filled an opioid prescription within 14 days. Of these patients, 1901 (12%) filled another opioid prescription 30 to 180 da…