Sammanfattning
Withdrawal symptoms are a commonly occurring phenomenon meriting due attention in postoperative nursing and treatment following the discontinuation of opioids. The topic was studied among 202 spinal surgery patients by means of two questionnaire-based surveys supplemented by case notes data and individualised, semi-structured interviews with six of the patients. The study indicated that 14 per cent of patients had experienced withdrawal symptoms from discontinuation of postoperative opioid analgesia. Patients prescribed long-term opioid therapy, showed a significantly higher incidence of withdrawal syndrome than those who had solely been prescribed opioids postoperatively. However, a number of patients who had only been prescribed opioids for a short period of time also reported withdrawal symptoms. The commonest withdrawal symptoms are agitation, restlessness and insomnia, which are most severe at night and persist from days to weeks. Patients typically reported a sense of having to cope with the distress of withdrawal unaided.
Patients should receive information about the risk of withdrawal when they discontinue opioids and the counselling and support options available during this process.