Hip fracture pain management in a regional Australian emergency department: A retrospective descriptive study

Hip fractures are a common and painful emergency presentation amongst elderly patients and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This study observed the frequency of documentation of pain scores and use of nerve blocks in hip fracture patients in a regional Australian ED and describes current practice in relation to national guidelines.

This was a retrospective single-site observational study and included all patients with a recorded ED diagnosis of fracture neck of femur over the age of 18 presenting between 1 July 2017 and 31 December 2017 to a regional ED. Data collection included patient demographics, pain scores and analgesia administered.

Ninety-three patients were included in analysis. This population had a high proportion of patients who had a residential address remote to the base hospital. Thirty-eight patients (41%) had a documented pain score within 30min and the frequency of nerve blocks was 45%.

Management of pain for patients with hip fracture in this regional ED varied from Australian guidelines and practice in other Australian EDs, demonstrating potential areas for further research and quality improvement in assessing and treating pain in older adults. Geographic remoteness may be an important factor.