Table 1. Characteristics of patients included in the study sample.
“Exposed” patients are those treated by surgeons prescribing hydrocodone in ≥ 75% of cases prior to rescheduling; “Unexposed” patients are those treated by surgeons prescribing hydrocodone in ≤ 25% of cases prior to rescheduling.
| Variable | Exposed patients | Unexposed patients | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| (N=41,712) | (N=23,424) | ||
| Age, Median (IQR) | 52 (40–62) | 54 (42–64) | <0.001 |
| Sex, N (%) | 0.222 | ||
| Male | 19,120 (45.8) | 10,852 (46.3) | |
| Female | 22,587 (54.2) | 12,566 (53.7) | |
| Provider type, N (%) | <0.001 | ||
| Individual | 26,526 (63.6) | 15,717 (67.1) | |
| Group practice | 15,186 (36.4) | 7,707 (32.9) | |
| Length of stay, N (%) | <0.001 | ||
| 0 days | 33,511 (80.3) | 15,686 (67.0) | |
| 1or 2 days | 3,995 (9.6) | 3,980 (17.0) | |
| 3 or more days | 4,206 (10.1) | 3,758 (16.0) | |
| Procedure type, N (%) | |||
| Laparoscopic cholecystectomy | 10,506 (25.2) | 5,366 (22.9) | <0.001 |
| Open cholecystectomy | 219 (0.5) | 127 (0.5) | 0.773 |
| Laparoscopic appendectomy | 3,630 (8.7) | 2,058 (8.8) | 0.718 |
| Open appendectomy | 276 (0.7) | 203 (0.9) | 0.003 |
| Inguinal hernia repair | 4,643 (11.1) | 2,846 (12.1) | <0.001 |
| Carpal tunnel release | 4,686 (11.2) | 1,344 (5.7) | <0.001 |
| Knee arthroscopy | 9,318 (22.3) | 3,918 (16.7) | <0.001 |
| Total knee replacement | 3,268 (7.8) | 3,688 (15.7) | <0.001 |
| Total hip replacement | 1,430 (3.4) | 2,009 (8.6) | <0.001 |
| Breast excision | 3,736 (9.0) | 1,865 (8.0) | <0.001 |
| Comorbidities, N(%) | |||
| Congestive heart failure | 749 (1.8) | 504 (2.2) | 0.002 |
| Cardiac arrhythmia | 3,503 (8.4) | 2,179 (9.3) | <0.001 |
| Cardiac valve disease | 1,403 (3.4) | 1,090 (4.7) | <0.001 |
| Peripheral vascular disorders | 1,175 (2.8) | 730 (3.1) | 0.030 |
| Hypertension, uncomplicated | 15,255 (36.6) | 9,302 (39.7) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension, complicated | 1,111 (2.7) | 771 (3.3) | <0.001 |
| Other neurological disorders | 614 (1.5) | 373 (1.6) | 0.227 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 4,515 (10.8) | 2,919 (12.5) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes, uncomplicated | 4,987 (12.0) | 2,905 (12.4) | 0.094 |
| Diabetes, complicated | 1,070 (2.6) | 594 (2.5) | 0.820 |
| Hypothyroidism | 4,986 (12.0) | 3,013 (12.9) | <0.001 |
| Renal Failure | 1,012 (2.4) | 653 (2.8) | 0.005 |
| Liver disease | 2,956 (7.1) | 1,572 (6.7) | 0.071 |
| Solid tumor without metastasis | 3,334 (8.0) | 1,932 (8.2) | 0.252 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 1,136 (2.7) | 731 (3.1) | 0.004 |
| Coagulopathy | 512 (1.2) | 411 (1.8) | <0.001 |
| Obesity | 5,497 (13.2) | 3,651 (15.6) | <0.001 |
| Fluid and electrolyte disorders | 1,979 (4.7) | 1,342 (5.7) | <0.001 |
| Iron deficiency anemia | 882 (2.1) | 631 (2.7) | <0.001 |
| Depression | 4,200 (10.1) | 2,599 (11.1) | <0.001 |
| Antidepressant receipt in last 90 days | 6,424 (15.4) | 3,398 (14.5) | 0.002 |