title: Efficacy of fentanyl analgesia for trauma in critical care transport.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pain relief is one of the most important interventions for out-of-hospital patient care providers. This paper documents the need for and benefits from the administration of fentanyl to trauma patients during critical care transport.
  
  
  METHODS
  We underwent a retrospective review of the transport charts of 100 trauma patients who received fentanyl analgesia during transport and who were able to use a numeric response scale to rate their pain from 0 to 10.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean initial pain report was 7.6 +/- 2.2 units, relieved to 3.7 +/- 2.8 units by a mean total fentanyl dose of 1.6 +/- 0.8 microg/kg (P < .001). Neither initial pain level nor pain relief differed between male and female patients, but did differ between patients originating at the site of injury and those transferred between hospitals. Fentanyl dose correlated poorly with the magnitude of pain relief (r = 0.22), but a dose greater than 2 microg/kg provided more relief than lower doses (5.1 +/- 2.1 vs 3.6 +/- 2.4, P < .02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fentanyl analgesia from these critical care transport teams provided significant pain relief to trauma patients. Pain reduction was greater for patients who received more than 2.0 microg/kg of fentanyl.
authors.affiliation: LIFE STAR/Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT 06102-5037, USA. mfrakes@harthosp.org
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Frakes
authors.forename: Wendy R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kociszewski
authors.forename: Suzanne K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Wedel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014187:Transportation of Patients
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D005283:Fentanyl