Document Detail


The epidemiology of pain in the prehospital setting.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  12385606     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To develop national estimates of the epidemiology of pain in the prehospital setting. METHODS: Cross-sectional data on a probability sample of 21,103 emergency department (ED) visits from the 1999 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed. For patients arriving by ambulance, the frequencies (95% confidence intervals) of patients presenting with no level of pain reported (data unknown or missing) and those reporting no, mild, and moderate or severe pain were determined. The reasons for visit among those with moderate or severe pain, and the ED narcotic analgesic use among those with pain information reported and not reported, were also determined. RESULTS: Of the 102.8 million patients visiting the ED in 1999, 14.5 million arrived by ambulance. Fifty-three percent (49-58%) were female. Seven million six hundred thousand [52% (48-56%)] had no information on presenting level of pain reported, 2.0 million [14% (2-25%)] had no pain, 2.0 million [14% (3-25%)] had mild pain, and 2.9 million 120% (12-29%)] had moderate or severe pain. Among those with moderate or severe pain, the most common reasons for visit were injuries 27% (11-43%) and non-injury musculoskeletal symptoms 18% (0-39%). Narcotic analgesics were ordered or continued in 13% (0-29%) of those with no presenting level of pain recorded and 21% (9-34%) of those for whom the presenting level of pain was recorded. CONCLUSION: Pain is a common condition among prehospital patients: 20% reported moderate to severe pain. Given the use of narcotic analgesics among those for whom pain information was not reported, this is likely a conservative estimate.
Authors:
Samuel A McLean; Ronald F Maio; Robert M Domeier
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors     Volume:  6     ISSN:  1090-3127     ISO Abbreviation:  Prehosp Emerg Care     Publication Date:    2002 Oct-Dec
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2002-10-18     Completed Date:  2003-02-03     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9703530     Medline TA:  Prehosp Emerg Care     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  402-5     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center/St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor 48109, USA. samclean@umich.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
Emergency Medical Services / utilization*
Emergency Service, Hospital / utilization
Female
Health Services Research
Humans
Male
Pain / epidemiology*
Pain Measurement
Probability
United States / epidemiology
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
Prehosp Emerg Care. 2002 Oct-Dec;6(4):486-8   [PMID:  12385622 ]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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