Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Little is known about how continued pain after discharge from the emergency department is managed by patients, and how it may interfere with the functional status of patients. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate pain management practices, patient satisfaction with pain medications, and how continued pain after ED discharge may influence the functional status of patients who presented with chief complaints of abdominal, chronic, abscess, or trauma-related pain. ⋯ Patients in this study, on average, continued to experience pain for up to 96 hours after discharge from the emergency department. They reported a high level of pain relief from their ED-prescribed medications. However, interference with functions of daily living due to continued pain was substantial. Further studies are needed to examine the paradoxical reports of high satisfaction with pain relief yet substantial functional limitations experienced by patients after ED discharge.