Chicago—Existing cardiac disease, pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea are all significantly associated with an increased risk for postoperative opioid-induced respiratory depression. The findings, from a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, may help in the development of strategies to mitigate the risk for this complication.
“Postoperative opioid-induced respiratory depression is associated with very high morbidity and mortality rates,” said Kapil Gupta, MBBS,