Pediatric patients who received a single-dose of intraoperative methadone needed fewer opioids in the first week after a tonsillectomy compared with those who received intermittent fentanyl, according to a study published in Anesthesiology (2024;141[3]:463-474).
In the study, researchers analyzed data from 60 children ranging in age from 3 to 17 years. They found the total opioid use over seven days was significantly lower in patients treated with methadone. The study was divided into three age