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Oligoanalgesia in blunt geriatric trauma
Erin Quattromani1, Daniel Normansell1, Michelle Storkan1
1Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
|March 24, 2015
Summary
Elderly trauma patients (≥65 years) are significantly less likely to receive pain medication in the emergency department (ED) and experience longer wait times for analgesia compared to younger adults.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Care
- Geriatric Medicine
Background:
- Older adults may experience altered pain perception and assessment.
- Inadequate pain management is a concern for geriatric patients.
- Previous research indicates potential disparities in acute pain treatment for the elderly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if geriatric trauma patients receive analgesia less frequently in the emergency department (ED).
- To compare the likelihood and timeliness of pain medication administration between older and younger trauma patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of adult blunt trauma patients at a Level I trauma center.
- Patients categorized into age groups: ≥65 years and 18-64 years.
- Statistical analysis included chi-squared tests, logistic regression, and t-tests to compare analgesic use and administration time, controlling for confounders.
Main Results:
- Geriatric patients (≥65 years) received analgesia less often (70%) compared to younger adults (84%) (p < 0.01).
- The average time to analgesia was longer for older patients (92 min) versus younger patients (61 min) (p = 0.03).
- Patients ≥65 years were 69% less likely to receive analgesia, even after adjusting for multiple factors.
Conclusions:
- Geriatric trauma patients are significantly under-treated for pain in the ED.
- Older adults experience delays in receiving necessary pain relief.
- This study highlights a critical gap in pain management for elderly trauma patients.
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