TITLE:
Gastric Perforation after Cesarean Delivery: An Unintended Consequence of the Opioid Epidemic
AUTHORS:
Tesia A. McKenzie, Eugene Zurkovsky, Jonathan D. Baum
KEYWORDS:
Opioid, Opioid Epidemic, Gastric Perforation, Gastrojejunostomy, Cesarean Delivery
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.11 No.5,
May
19,
2021
ABSTRACT: 30 year old female now para 1 presented to the Emergency Department with
nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain 6 days after an uncomplicated primary
cesarean delivery. She did not respond to conservative management and underwent
exploratory laparotomy for worsening pain, pneumoperitoneum and intraabdominal
fluid collections. Gastric perforations required repair via gastrojejunostomy.
Postoperative course was unremarkable. The anti-opioid campaign has altered the
approach to postoperative pain management in both positive and negative ways.
It has sparked new interest in alternative approaches to postoperative pain
management, which include an increased role for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs). We present a case of a woman who had a significant complication
due to the reliance of non-opioid pain medications after cesarean delivery.