Overcoming Obstacles for Successful Pain Control in the Emergency Department

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According to Tanabe and Buschmann (1999), pain is one of “the most common complaints in the emergency department.” The reasons for patients coming to the emergency department are very atypical, the goal no matter what the complaint is, is to be help as quickly as possible and to decrease the amount of discomfort as soon as possible. Recent publications have shown that 70% of patients with acute painful conditions do not receive any pain medications in the emergency department (Tanabe & Buschmann, 1999). These are disappointing results and are important in terms of patient suffering and quality of life. It is obvious that pain management is less than optimal, indicating that there remains significant room for improvement.

In an article published in the Annuals of Emergency Medicine, researchers Rupp and Delaney (2004) found that a review of emergency department pain management practices “demonstrates pain treatment inconsistency and inadequacy that extends across all demographic groups.” The inconsistency and inadequacy comes from a abundance of potential barriers that include; inadequate pain education in assessment and management, lack of communication among providers, attitudes about pain and pain medication, the subjectiveness of pain and a lack of pain management awareness.

In the book Pain: Causes and Management, the author’s state that “pain is a universal experience that can span an enormous spectrum of intensity from mild discomfort to excruciating agony.” Pain can represent a variation of feelings and emotions and is considered a physical sense associated with some kind of tissue damage or disease. It is self-determining and distinctive to each individual. It is important for emergency room providers to remember that ...

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