Annals of emergency medicine
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To determine if the number of emergency department (ED) rechecks, persistent fluorescein uptake, ophthalmology referrals, or complications would be affected by the prescription of topical tetracaine for pain relief from simple corneal abrasions (SCAs). ⋯ There was no evidence that up to 24-hour topical tetracaine for the treatment of pain caused by SCA was unsafe; however, CIs were wide and some increased risks were observed for NSCAs.
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We characterize the relative contribution of emergency departments (EDs) to national opioid prescribing, estimate trends in opioid prescribing by site of care (ED, office-based, and inpatient), and examine whether higher-risk opioid users receive a disproportionate quantity of their opioids from ED settings. ⋯ Between 1996 and 2012, opioid prescribing for noncancer patients in the United States significantly increased. The majority of this growth was attributable to office visits and refills of previously prescribed opioids. The relative contribution of EDs to the prescription opioid problem was modest and declining. Thus, further efforts to reduce the quantity of opioids prescribed may have limited effect in the ED and should focus on office-based settings. EDs could instead focus on developing and disseminating tools to help providers identify high-risk individuals and refer them to treatment.