Background: Opioid over-prescription after cesarean delivery (CD)
delays postoperative recovery, interferes with breastfeeding and may prompt
persistent opioid use after hospital discharge. We evaluated the effects of
implementing a multimodal stepwise analgesic regimen on opioid consumption and
pain scores after CD. Methods: This was a retrospective before-after
study. Opioid intake (expressed as morphine milligram equivalents (MME)) and pain
scores (using the 11-point numerical rating score) within 24-hours following
planned cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia without intrathecal morphine
were compared before vs. after change in post-cesarean analgesia regimen. This
included intensified non-opioid analgesia with quadratus lumborum block and
shifting from scheduled to as-needed opioids. Mann-Whitney U test was used for
statistical comparison (p
