title: The association between frequent alcohol drinking and opioid consumption after abdominal surgery: A retrospective analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is perceived that patients with a history of frequent alcohol consumption require more opioids for postoperative pain control and experience less postoperative nausea and vomiting than patients without such a history. However, there is scarce evidence supporting this notion. The aim of this study was to assess association between frequent alcohol consumption and opioid requirement for postoperative pain control and occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records for 4143 patients using intravenous patient-control analgesia with opioids after abdominal surgery between January 2010 and September 2013 were obtained, and associations were sought between the cumulative opioid consumption (in intravenous morphine equivalence) per body weight (mg/kg) in the first 2 days after abdominal operation and several demographic and clinical variables by multiple regression analysis. The association between the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and several demographic and clinical variables was also sought by multiple logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Frequent alcohol drinking, among other previously reported factors, was associated with increased opioid consumption for postoperative pain control (p < 0.001). The estimate effect of frequent alcohol drinking was 0.117 mg/kg. Frequent alcohol drinking was also associated with decreased risks of postoperative nausea (odds ratio = 0.59, p = 0.003) and vomiting (odds ratio = 0.49, p = 0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequent alcohol drinking was associated with increased opioid consumption for postoperative pain control and decreased risks of postoperative nausea and vomiting after abdominal surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheng-Chin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1035-7815
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsin-I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan City, Yilan County, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ta-Wei
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Shiang
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid