Extrait

Background and study aims Pain is very common in patients attending Emergency (A&E) Departments. Pain is sometimes difficult to treat, and individual patient satisfaction and levels of pain control also vary. In recent national surveys more than half of patients felt more could be done to treat their pain during their attendance. Normally when a patient is in severe pain in the Emergency Department they receive morphine, a strong painkiller, through a drip. Nurses give the injection, and then return after a while to see if any further treatment is needed. This might involve further doses of morphine or other types of painkiller if more appropriate. When they are admitted to a ward, it is more common for patients to be prescribed painkillers taken by mouth. A patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device is a syringe that can be connected to a drip in the patient’s arm, which allows the patient to deliver their own painkiller into a vein by pressing a button attached to the syringe holder. It has a safety device to prevent too much drug being delivered. PCAs are commonly used in a variety of different settings in the hospital (typically after an operation), but they are not usually used for emergency patients. This study aims to see if giving patients a PCA machine in the Emergency Department, and during the first few hours of their stay in hospital, improves pain relief and satisfaction. Who can participate? Patients aged between 18 and 75 with traumatic injuries or non-traumatic abdominal pain. What does the study involve? Patients who agree to take part will be randomly allocated to receive either PCA or standard treatment involving nurses giving pain relief drugs then returning after a period of time to see whether any further medication is required. In addition, all patients in the study will be offered other forms of painkillers as necessary. By using the two methods of administration we will be able to assess whether there is benefit in terms of pain control and satisfaction with treatment between the two methods of managing pain. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? We feel that by giving patients control of their own pain relief, they may feel their pain is better managed. Where is the study run from? Derriford Hospital, Plymouth (UK) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? July 2011 to January 2013 Who is funding the study? National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (UK) Who is the main contact? Dr Jason Smith [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• Topic: Injuries and Emergencies; Subtopic: Injuries and Emergencies (all Subtopics); Disease: Injuries and Emergencies

Liens

• isrctn
• ictrp