Long-term Outcomes Following a Comprehensive Quality Assurance and Process Improvement Endeavor to Minimize Opioid Use After Kidney Transplant

Abstract

Opioid use following kidney transplant is associated with an increased risk of graft loss and mortality. Opioid minimization strategies and protocols have shown reductions in short-term opioid use after kidney transplant. To evaluate the long-term outcomes associated with an opioid minimization protocol following kidney transplant. This single-center quality improvement study evaluated postoperative and long-term opioid use before and after the implementation of a multidisciplinary, multimodal pain regimen and education process in adult kidney graft recipients from August 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020. Patient data were collected from a retrospective chart review. Preprotocol and postprotocol implementation use of opioids. Between November 7 and 23, 2022, opioid use before and after protocol implementation was evaluated up to 1 year after transplant using multivariable linear and logistic regression. A total of 743 patients were included, with 245 patients in the preprotocol group (39.2% female and 60.8% male; mean [SD] age, 52.8 [13.1 years]) vs 498 in the postprotocol group (45.4% female and 54.6% male; mean [SD] age, 52.4 [12.9 years]). The total morphine milligram equivalents (MME) in the 1-year follow-up in the preprotocol group was 1203.7 vs 581.9 in the postprotocol group. In the postprotocol group, 313 patients (62.9%) had 0 MME in the 1-year follow-up vs 7 (2.9%) in the preprotocol group (odds ratio [OR], 57.52; 95% CI, 26.55-124.65). Patients in the postprotocol group had 99% lower odds of filling more than 100 MME in the 1-year follow-up (adjusted OR, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.01-0.02; P < .001). Opioid-naive patients postprotocol were one-half as likely to become long-term opioid users vs preprotocol (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.20-0.98; P = .04). The study's findings show a significant reduction in opioid use in kidney graft recipients associated with the implementation of a multimodal opioid-sparing pain protocol.