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In a cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, investigators evaluated differences in pain management by patient race among patients ≤21 years of age presenting with appendicitis to participating emergency departments (EDs) from 2003 to 2010. Of nearly 1 million patients (mean age, 14 years), 87% were white and 9% black. Overall, 57% of patients received any analgesia and 41% received at least one dose of an opioid analgesic.
Among patients with moderate pain, blacks were less likely to receive any analgesia than whites (16% vs. 59%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.1). Among patients with severe pain, blacks were less likely to receive opioids than whites (25% vs. 58%; aOR, 0.2). In multivariabl…