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Medical Management of Pain in the Emergency Setting Without Narcotics: Current Status and Future Options

  • Pain Management (S Mace, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Relief of pain and discomfort is a critical component of the mission of every health care provider to reduce suffering. Pain management is of paramount importance in the provision of care at every level. This is an era of increasing patient expectations of care, yet also there exists an ongoing scourge of opiate abuse.

Recent Findings

ED visits for opioid overdoses rose 30% in all parts of the USA from July 2016 through September 2017. Deaths from narcotic overdose in the USA now exceed those from motor vehicle crashes. The concept of an “opiate-free” emergency department has been posited.

Summary

The emergency practitioner is presented with clinical and political challenges which did not exist in the past. This article elucidates current pharmacologic options regarding analgesia in the emergency setting, with some possible future options.

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Correspondence to Jonathan Glauser.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Pain Management

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Glauser, J., Money, S. Medical Management of Pain in the Emergency Setting Without Narcotics: Current Status and Future Options. Curr Emerg Hosp Med Rep 6, 134–140 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40138-018-0164-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40138-018-0164-7

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