Administering oral acetaminophen to all pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy during the preoperative admission process reduces intravenous acetaminophen use, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Investigators assessed the impact of giving oral acetaminophen (12.5 mg/kg oral acetaminophen; maximum dose, 650 mg) to all pediatric otorhinolaryngologic patients undergoing tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy during the preoperative admission the process as part of the standing anesthesia preoperative order set. Changing from an “opt-in” model to an “opt-out” model dramatically reduced the amount of IV acetaminophen dispensed (−23.8 doses per month). The resultant cost savings was more than $27.00 per patient, yielding an annual savings of more than $50,000.
