Annals of Emergency Medicine Journal Club. Emergency department crowding is associated with poor care for patients with severe pain.
retrospective_cohort · Level III
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 18166434.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2007.11.022.
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Abstract
WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC: Emergency department (ED) crowding may result in delays in the administration of medication such as antibiotics for pneumonia. WHAT QUESTION THIS STUDY ADDRESSED: Does crowding cause delays in treatment for pain? WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE: In this retrospective analysis of 13,578 patients treated at a single inner-city ED, patients with severe pain were slightly less likely to receive pain medications quickly when the ED volume increased. HOW THIS MIGHT CHANGE CLINICAL PRACTICE: Crowding may delay the administration of pain medication in some patients. Standing orders for the administration of pain medication might mitigate such delays.