Efficacy of Acute Pain Control Protocol in Triage Department on Analgesics Administration Time and Patients' Satisfaction

Abstract

Objective: Current study was conducted to develop a pain control protocol by Morphine Sulfate (MS) Suppository in triage ward with the main primary outcomes of first analgesic administration time, patients' satisfaction and also the changes in pain intensity. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 318 consecutive patients attending to an academic tertiary health care center in Tehran, Iran in 2011 and 2012 were enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either routine pain control by emergency medicine residents in emergency department (n=132) or pain control protocol in triage level by nurses (n=186). Those with pain in control group were treated with conventional pain control program and those in intervention group with pain intensities higher than four were treated with suppository stat 10 mg dose of MS administered by nurses in triage ward. Results: The mean change in pain intensity was significantly (P<0.0001) higher in intervention group (4.2 versus 0.2) and the first analgesic administration time was significantly different between groups (P<0.05) being less in the intervention group (43.1 versus 4.6). Also the patients' satisfaction was significantly higher in the intervention group (P<0.0001). No drug adverse effects were seen. Conclusions: Totally, according to the obtained results, it may be concluded that acute pain control protocol in triage department by suppository of MS would result in reduced analgesics administration time and higher patients' satisfaction. Keywords: Analgesia; Emergency Department; Pain Control