Race and Unequal Burden of Perioperative Pain and Opioid Related Adverse Effects in Children

Abstract

After similar uses of intraoperative morphine for tonsillectomy, there was an unequal burden of increased pain in African American children and increased opioid adverse effects in Caucasian children in the recovery room. Though Caucasian children received relatively less opioids perioperatively, they had higher incidences of opioid related adverse effects than African American children.