Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Abdominal pain is the leading cause of patient visits to the emergency department. Although patients present to the emergency department in search of relief from pain, few experience complete pain relief. The purpose of this study was to describe patients' expectations for pain relief and how communication of their pain to nurses and physicians affected their overall pain relief. ⋯ The results of this study showed that patients with abdominal pain have high expectations for pain relief; however, their expectations were not associated with their tendency to ask for pain medication or report actual relief of pain.
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Comparative Study
Disparities in analgesia and opioid prescribing practices for patients with musculoskeletal pain in the emergency department.
Healthy People 2010 seeks to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care; however, disparities due to age and race have been described in emergency department pain treatment. Although pain is a common patient complaint in emergency departments, many people receive no analgesia. This study examined the influence of patient and provider characteristics on ED and discharge analgesia and opioid prescribing practices. ⋯ Pain management in our emergency department is widely variable, with some disparities based on patient and physician characteristics. Multicenter prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and examine knowledge and attitude development about pain and its management. Protocols for nurse-initiated analgesia may help improve and standardize ED pain care.