Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 44, Issue 2 , Page 198, August 2004

Pain management in the emergency department☆

Article Outline

 

The majority of emergency department (ED) patients require treatment for painful medical conditions or injuries. The American College of Emergency Physicians recognizes the importance of effectively managing ED patients who are experiencing pain and supports the following principles.

•ED patients should receive expeditious pain management, avoiding delays such as those related to diagnostic testing or consultation.

•Hospitals should develop unique strategies that will optimize ED patient pain management using both narcotic and nonnarcotic medications.

•ED policies and procedures should support the safe utilization and prescription writing of pain medications in the ED.

•Effective physician and patient educational strategies should be developed regarding pain management, including the use of pain therapy adjuncts and how to minimize pain after disposition from the ED.

•Ongoing research in the area of ED patient pain management should be conducted.

Approved by the ACEP Board of Directors March 2004.

☆ Policy statements and clinical policies are the official policies of the American College of Emergency Physicians and, as such, are not subject to the same peer review process as articles appearing in the journal. Policy statements and clinical policies of ACEP do not necessarily reflect the policies and beliefs of Annals of Emergency Medicine and its editors.

PII: S0196-0644(04)00342-7

doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2004.04.003

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 44, Issue 2 , Page 198, August 2004