Prospective study on prevalence, intensity, type, and therapy of acute pain in a second-level urban emergency department

[Autom. eng. transl.] Aim: Pain represents the most frequent cause for patient admission to emergency departments (EDs). Oligoanalgesia is a common problem in this field. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence and pain in patients who visited a second-level urban environment. Methods: A 4-week prospective observational study was carried out on 2,838 patients who visited a second-level urban ED. Pain intensity was evaluated using the Numeric Rating Scale at the moment of triage. The efficacy of prescribed analgesic therapy was evaluated at 30 and 60 minutes, and at discharge. Data concerning pain intensity were classified as absent, slight, mild, or severe. Pain was evaluated in relation to the prescribed therapy. Results: Pain prevalence was 70.7%. Traumatic events were the primary cause in most cases (40.44%), followed by pain linked to urologic problems (13.52%), abdominal pain (13.39%), and nontraumatic musculoskeletal pain (7.10%). Only 32.46% of patients were given pharmacological therapy. Of these, 76% reported severe pain, 19% moderate, and 5% slight, and 66% received nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or paracetamol, 4% opioids, and 30% other therapies. A difference of 84% in patients with reevaluation following initial analgesic therapy. Conclusion: Pain represents one of the primary reasons for visits to EDs. The pain of painkillers has been reported in patients who received painkillers, results show that inadequate treatment of pain in ED