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© Dale and Bjørnsen. 2015. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background

Although pain management is a fundamental aspect of care in emergency departments (EDs), inadequate treatment of pain is unfortunately common. There are multiple local protocols for pain assessment in the ED. This study evaluated whether the initial assessment and treatment of pain in the ED are in accordance with the in-hospital protocol of the ED at a Norwegian University Hospital.

Materials and methods

Prospective data on pain assessment and initial treatment in the ED were collected from nursing and physician documentation. The patients’ perceptions of subjective pain were recorded using a numerical rating scale (NRS) that ranged from 0 to 10.

Results

Seventy-seven percent of the 764 enrolled patients were evaluated for pain at arrival. Female patients had a higher probability of not being asked about pain, but there was no difference in the percentage of patients asked about pain with respect to age. Additionally, patients with low oxygen saturation and systolic blood pressure were less likely to be asked about pain. Of those with moderate and severe pain (58 %), only 14 % received pain relief.

Discussion

Assessment and treatment of pain in the ED are inadequate and not in line with the local protocols. A focus on strategies to improve pain treatment in the ED is a necessary aspect of developing optimal acute patient care in Norway in the future.

Details

Title
Assessment of pain in a Norwegian Emergency Department
Author
Dale, Jostein 1 ; Bjørnsen, Lars Petter 1 

 Clinic of Emergency Medicine and Prehospital Care, St. Olav’s Hospital, Emergency Department, Trondheim, Norway (GRID:grid.52522.32) (ISNI:0000000406273560) 
Pages
86
Publication year
2015
Publication date
Dec 2015
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
17577241
e-ISSN
15007480
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2788426902
Copyright
© Dale and Bjørnsen. 2015. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.