Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39846206›Full record

ArticleHand (New York, N.Y.)2026

Concurrent Perioperative Benzodiazepine and Opioid Utilization in Opioid-Naive Patients Undergoing Soft Tissue Hand Surgery.

Thompson Zhuang, Ellis M Berns, Hannah H Lee, Andrew D Sobel

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Hand (New York, N.Y.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Thompson ZhuangUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3123-6070
Ellis M BernsUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
Hannah H LeeUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
Andrew D SobelUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9749-1384

Funding

RRD VA IK2 RX003947
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile concomitant opioid and benzodiazepine use is discouraged due to an increased risk of sedation/overdose, the extent of perioperative opioid utilization in hand surgery patients already using benzodiazepines is unknown.

methodsUsing an administrative claims database, we identified adults undergoing carpal tunnel, DeQuervain, or trigger finger release, palmar fasciectomies, ganglion/mucoid cyst removals, and hand/wrist soft tissue mass excisions from 2011 to 2021. We identified opioid-naive patients with a benzodiazepine prescription within 90 days before surgery. Outcomes included the percentage of patients prescribed opioids and the amount of opioids prescribed, new persistent opioid utilization, postoperative emergency department (ED) visits, hand therapy utilization, and opioid overdose. We used multivariable regression models to adjust for age, sex, region, insurance, procedure, and comorbidities.

resultsPatients with benzodiazepine utilization had a higher adjusted odds of perioperative opioid prescriptions, amount of opioids filled, and new, persistent opioid use compared with patients without benzodiazepine use (all

conclusionsOpioid-naive patients undergoing soft tissue hand surgery who are using benzodiazepines were prescribed opioids more frequently/at higher amounts and experienced an increased odds of developing new, persistent opioid use. Surgeons could consider reducing opioid prescriptions in patients already using benzodiazepines in favor of nonopioid pain strategies.

Indexed as

Analgesics, OpioidBenzodiazepinesHandPostoperative PainAdultAgedDatabases, FactualDrug PrescriptionsEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPractice Patterns, Physicians'Retrospective StudiesAnalgesics, OpioidBenzodiazepinesbenzodiazepineelective hand surgeryopiatepainsedative

Identifiers

PMID39846206
PMCPMC13065632

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.