title: Management of pain in pre-hospital settings.
abstract: Assessment and management of pain in pre-hospital care settings are important aspects of paramedic and clinical team roles. As emergency department waiting times and delays in paramedic-to-nurse handover increase, it becomes more and more vital that patients receive adequate pre-hospital pain relief. However, administration of analgesia can be inadequate and can result in patients experiencing oligoanalgesia, or under-treated pain. This article examines these issues along with the aetiology of trauma and the related socioeconomic background of traumatic injury. It reviews validated pain-assessment tools, outlines physiological responses to traumatic pain and discusses some of the misconceptions about the provision of effective analgesia in pre-hospital settings.
authors.affiliation: University of York.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
authors.forename: Antony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodgers
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D006801:Humans; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement
keywords: Analgesia; injury; oligoanalgesia; pain assessment; pain management; trauma