Pain management practices in the emergency departmen

A descriptive study was done to describe the experience of pain in the ED patient. Interviews were conducted with 203 patients who entered the ED during the study period. One hundred sixty of the 203 patients presented to the ED with a chief complaint related to pain, indicating a prevalence of 78%. Patients were interviewed and asked to describe various aspects of their pain. Pharmacologic interventions and the use of ice was also recorded. Approximately 58% of all patients received either ice or medications as an intervention. Patients waited an average of 74 minutes from ED arrival to treatment with pharmacologic agents.;Various independent variables were examined to determine their effect on the ability to predict the treatment of pain. Chest pain was the only independent variable which predicted pain treatment.;The ED nurses knowledge base was also investigated in this study. One thousand surveys were mailed to all Illinois ENA members. Three hundred responses were received. The average per cent correct was 74% on the ED Nurses Knowledge instrument. Specific areas of knowledge deficit included the areas of pharmacologic principles and the terms tolerance, addiction, physical dependance.;A masters degree in nursing and attendance at a 1 day pain seminar resulted in statistically significant higher scores.