Variations in Prehospital Analgesic Use Based on Pain Etiology.

Background/

Objectives

Pain is the most frequently reported symptom in over 90% of patients presenting with traumatic injuries, and three-quarters of patients are discharged from emergency departments experiencing moderate to severe pain. The objective of this study was to compare the frequency of analgesic administration between patients with chest pain presumed to be of cardiac origin and those with suspected bone fractures as well as to assess whether significant differences exist between these two groups.

Methods

A retrospective, observational study was conducted. Patients were categorized into two groups: Group 1-patients with angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, or non-specific chest pain; and Group 2-patients with a preliminary diagnosis of bone fracture made by the attending physician at the scene.

Results

A total of 1189 patients were included in this study, with 503 (42.3%) in Group 1 and 686 (57.7%) in Group 2 (χ2 = 28.166; p < 0.001). Analgesic administration was significantly more frequent among patients in Group 1 than in Group 2 (χ2 = 23.187; p < 0.001). Within Group 1, the highest rate of analgesic use was recorded in patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. In Group 2, analgesics were administered to 36.4% of patients with suspected trunk bone fractures, while only 7.1% of patients with suspected cranial fractures received analgesic therapy. Pain intensity scores were not available for either group.

Conclusions

The administration of analgesic treatment was significantly more common among patients presenting with chest pain of presumed cardiac origin than among those with suspected bone fractures, including fractures involving multiple body regions.