Papers of the Week

The national epidemic of opioid misuse has focused attention on postpartum analgesic utilization. Adequate pain control achieved with non-opioid pain medications and conservative measures could minimize the quantity of opioid pain medications available for misuse and diversion. Interventions that decrease inpatient opioid use after delivery could reduce the potential for chronic dependence in postpartum women. Modification of preloaded electronic order sets to decrease opioid administration has successfully reduced opioid use following major abdominal surgery including cesarean delivery. However, interventions to reduce opioid use following vaginal delivery are not well-described.