title: Use of a triage pain protocol in the ED.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to evaluate the ability of a triage pain protocol to improve frequency and time to delivery of analgesia for musculoskeletal injuries in the emergency department (ED).
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequency and time to analgesic administration were measured before and after use of a triage pain protocol. The protocol allowed analgesic medications to be given at the time of triage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Time to medication administration was 76 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], 68-84 minutes) before and 40 minutes (95% CI, 32-47 minutes) after the protocol. Five hundred fifty-nine (70%) of 800 patients received analgesics using the protocol compared with 212 of 471 (45%) patients prior.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of a triage pain protocol increased the number of patients with musculoskeletal injury who received pain medication in the ED. Use of the protocol also resulted in a decrease in the time to analgesic medication administration.
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. davefosnocht@comcast.net
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Fosnocht
authors.forename: Eric R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Swanson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009141:Musculoskeletal System / Q000293:injuries; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics