SCH joins in fight against Opioids

America is fighting an opioid crisis that has exploded into a public-health emergency.

Stephens County Hospital’s Marketing Director Samantha Rickman told WNEG News Monday about the initiative the Stephens County Hospital staff have taken to fighting our local opioid crisis.

In an attempt, to prescribe patients with fewer narcotics, the hospital has created a non-narcotic pain control option following Knee Replacement Surgery.

According to Rickman, Exparel is a medication the surgeon injects around the knee during surgery, it is a local anesthetic, similar to lidocaine, which bonds to fatty cells.

As the cells are broken down through normal metabolism the medication is released causing a numbing effect for close to 72 hours.

This allows patients to avoid the use of the “pain button” which releases narcotic medications when pressed.

Avoiding narcotics after surgery helps reduce complications such as drowsiness, nausea, fatigue, and slow, shallow breathing.

Patients even recover faster with fewer complications.

Exparel is part of the Hospital Joint Team’s multi-modal pain control program which does not rely just on narcotics for pain control.

Rickman continued by saying that Stephens County Hospital is proud to show an understanding of the opioid crisis and are happy to provide its friends and neighbors with an alternative.

For more information regarding Exparel, visit its website at www.exparel.com.