Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who underwent total joint arthroplasty and received higher levels of opioids had an increased risk for gastrointestinal complications, according to researchers.
Those patients also experienced longer hospital lengths of stay, but they were less likely to develop pulmonary complications.
This study, a retrospective analysis of a nationwide database, indicates that prescribers should heed guidelines and minimize the use of respiratory depressant drugs,