Limiting opioids during surgery may lead to more postoperative pain and opioid use for patients medicalxpress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from medicalxpress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A recent analysis in JAMA Surgery that was conducted by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham, indicates that overly restricting use of opioids during surgery may be doing more harm than good.
Fentanyl exposure produces specific EEG signatures in the brain. The findings also revealed the drug impairs people's breathing four minutes before noticeable changes in alertness.
Researchers have learned that fentanyl produces a specific EEG signature, which could allow clinicians to monitor its effects to enable safer, more personalized administration during and after surgery.