SAN FRANCISCO—New research has revealed a possible association between chronic opioid use and surgical site infections (SSIs) in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.
The retrospective analysis found that use of opioids for at least six months prior to surgery was related to a significantly higher incidence of SSIs than no opioid use. As such, researchers recommended tapering opioid doses in advance of surgery, which may reduce the risk for these infections.
Reporting at the 2023 annual