Undertreatment of Acute Pain in the ED: Does Education Help?

Acute pain is the most common presenting complaint among emergency department patients, yet undertreatment of pain has been well documented. In a prospective study, researchers at an acute care hospital in Switzerland assessed whether implementation of a pain management guideline combined with a short education program for emergency physicians and nurses improved pain management.

Adult patients presenting with acute pain from any cause during 1-month periods just before (249 patients) and 2 months after (192 patients) implementation of the guideline completed a survey at discharge, and their ED records were reviewed. Compared with the preintervention period, in the postintervention period there were significant increases in documentation of …