Other pain management

Overview

Other types of pain that may present to the Emergency Department include:

• Generalized body ache

• Joint pain

• Pain due to local infections

• Pain due to injury

• Eye pain

• Ear pain

Non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment

• Perform primary and secondary assessment and provide appropriate interventions when indicated.

• For generalized body pain, administer appropriate analgesics, advise the patient to rest, and arrange follow-up.

• For joint pain, pain due to local infections, injury, eye pain, and ear pain, manage the patient according to the underlying disease-specific treatment guidelines.

Precautions

• Do not use acetylsalicylic acid in patients with abdominal pain, vomiting, or nausea.

• Do not administer acetylsalicylic acid to children younger than 12 years.

• Do not administer acetylsalicylic acid to patients with peptic ulcer disease.

• Refer patients whose pain persists despite appropriate analgesic therapy for further evaluation and investigation.

Referral

Refer the patient if any of the following are present:

• Children with moderate or severe acute pain

• No response to oral pain management

• Uncertain diagnosis

• Acute abdominal pain associated with vomiting and failure to pass stool

• Pain requiring definitive treatment of the underlying disease

• Pain requiring opioid therapy