Open AccessNarxCare Scores Greater Than 300 Are Associated with Adverse Outcomes After Primary THA
Author(s) -
Ahmed K. Emara,
Daniel Grits,
Alison K. Klika,
Robert M. Molloy,
Viktor E. Krebs,
Wael K. Barsoum,
Carlos A. Higuera-Rueda,
Nicolás S. Piuzzi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
clinical orthopaedics and related research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.178
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1528-1132
pISSN - 0009-921X
DOI - 10.1097/corr.0000000000001745
Subject(s) - medicine , medical prescription , adverse effect , emergency medicine , emergency department , retrospective cohort study , comorbidity , pharmacy , family medicine , psychiatry , pharmacology
The association between preoperative prescription drug use (narcotics, sedatives, and stimulants) and complications and/or greater healthcare utilization (length of stay, discharge disposition, readmission, emergency department visits, and reoperation) after total joint arthroplasty has been established but not well quantified. The NarxCare score (NCS) is a weighted scalar measure of overall prescription opioid, sedative, and stimulant use. Higher scores reflect riskier drug-use patterns, which are calculated based on (1) the number of prescribing providers, (2) the number of dispensing pharmacies, (3) milligram equivalence doses, (4) coprescribed potentiating drugs, and (5) overlapping prescription days. The aforementioned factors have not been incorporated into association measures between preoperative prescription drug use and adverse events after THA. In addition, the utility of the NCS as a scalar measure in predicting post-THA complications has not been explored.