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The Role of the Emergency Department in Chronic Pain Treatment

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Book cover Treating Comorbid Opioid Use Disorder in Chronic Pain

Abstract

Patients suffering from chronic pain present frequently to emergency departments for acute and chronic pain issues. Chronic pain patients represent a distinct challenge for emergency physicians, who encounter significant barriers in providing appropriate pain management. Physician biases, lack of training in pain management, addiction risk, and patient behaviors frequently contribute to these difficulties. In order to provide appropriate care, emergency physicians need to address goals of management, make attempts to elucidate the underlying pathology or issues contributing to the acute exacerbation, and decide on pain management treatment. The treatment possibilities for acute exacerbations of chronic pain are multiple and include provision of opioid medications, non-opioid medications, and complimentary therapies. A clinical approach is presented to help provide a framework when approaching chronic pain patients in the emergency department with the aim to provide optimal care and minimize suffering to this patient population.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1N 6N5

    Sean W. Moore M.D., C.M., F.R.C.P.C.

  2. Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Emergency Department, Lake of the Woods District Hospital, 21 Sylvan Street, Kenora, ON, Canada, P9N3W7

    Sean W. Moore M.D., C.M., F.R.C.P.C.

  3. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine, 451 Smyth Road, Kenora, ON, Canada, P9N3W7

    Jeffrey Freeman M.D.

Authors
  1. Sean W. Moore M.D., C.M., F.R.C.P.C.
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  2. Jeffrey Freeman M.D.
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Sean W. Moore M.D., C.M., F.R.C.P.C. or Jeffrey Freeman M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Psychiatry, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Annette M. Matthews

  2. Maine Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Jonathan C. Fellers

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Moore, S.W., Freeman, J. (2016). The Role of the Emergency Department in Chronic Pain Treatment. In: Matthews, A., Fellers, J. (eds) Treating Comorbid Opioid Use Disorder in Chronic Pain. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29863-4_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29863-4_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29861-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29863-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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