Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Surgeon Establishes First-Ever Guidelines for Pediatric Opioid Prescribing

Pediatric Surgeon Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD, works towards making opioid prescribing safer for pediatric populations LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov 11, 2020– According to the National Institutes of Health, opioid misuse and addiction in the United States is a national crisis, with an economic burden upwards of $78 billion. Opioids are useful for pain management following surgery and other major procedures, but until now there have been no recommendations guiding safe use of opioids in children.

Pediatric Surgeon Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD, MSHS , led a diverse team of health care providers and advocates to establish the first such guidance. Published in JAMA Surgery , Dr. Kelley-Quon and her colleagues outline 20 guidelines for safer pain management in children and adolescents.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201111005755/en/ Pediatric Surgeon Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD, works towards making opioid prescribing safer for pediatric populations (Photo: Business Wire)

“Many people are aware that there’s an opioid epidemic,” says Dr. Kelley-Quon, “but when I talk about my work, people are surprised to hear that it impacts children.” One of the primary concerns is the use of opioids among teens and adolescents. Dr. Kelley-Quon cites a CDC report revealing that approximately 9 percent of […]

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