Newsletter October 2021: Call for expression of interest: The Pain and Opioids after Surgery (PANDOS) study - supported by ESAIC

The aim of PANDOS is to document perioperative opioid use and its safety in Europe and to describe its association with adverse events and persistent pain. This is a call for expression of interest for this one-week international, prospective, observational cohort study. Our goal is to include as many hospitals as possible in Europe. We would like to include at least ten countries with at least ten hospitals per country.

Currently, we have received expressions of interest from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland and the UK. Thus, the participation of hospitals in these countries is particularly encouraged (some of these countries have not yet reached the target of ten hospitals). But, if you think your unlisted country may involve at least ten hospitals, please do not hesitate to apply as well, including a nominated  National Coordinator.

The anonymised data will be entered online, with a simple data collection form and short questionnaires, perioperatively, a follow-up of 3 and 12 months by telephone.

This study could help develop strategies to improve the quality of care and the safe use of opioids. Because we need better data to fill a knowledge gap, PANDOS could be a major reference in the future (1).

If you would like to be part of this new study, or just to find out more, do not hesitate to apply by expressing your interest by e-mail to / contacting the Chief Investigator (Professor Patrice Forget, Clinical Chair in Anaesthesia, Aberdeen, UK patrice.forget@abdn.ac.uk or forgetpatrice@yahoo.fr).

(1) Sitter T, Forget P. Persistent postoperative opioid use in Europe. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2021 ;38:505