title: Simplified approach for delivering medicine to patients with severe pain shows promise.
abstract: A new study suggests that in a busy emergency environment, a protocol based on simply asking patients if they need more pain medicine at 30-minute intervals can be effective at controlling pain, although some experts urge stricter limits on the automatic authorization of hydromorphone, and a mechanism to keep physicians more involved in care. Experts suggest that soliciting patient input is more effective than relying on numbered pain scales to gauge whether pain has been adequately controlled. For non-elderly patients in severe pain, the protocol includes an automatic authorization for an additional milligram of hydromorphone up to four times at 30-minute intervals. Study results indicate that all but two of 207 study participants achieved satisfactory pain control at one or more points in the study, and that most were satisfied with their treatment.
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010358:Patient Participation