Emergency department analgesia in patients with traumatic injuries on outpatient buprenorphine

Moderate to severe acute pain occurs in 91% of traumatic injury patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) and suboptimal analgesia is common [1-3]. Timely and adequate pain control is crucial, as inadequate management has been associated with increased morbidity and development of chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression [4]. Intravenous (IV) opioids are routinely used for treatment of acute pain in trauma patients, but increasing outpatient use of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) and chronic pain poses a new challenge to traditional pain management strategies [5].
Source: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Source Type: research