Acute pain management for patients under opioid maintenance treatment: what physicians do in emergency departments?

Eur J Emerg Med. 2014 Feb;21(1):73-6. doi: 10.1097/MEJ.0b013e328363c9e0.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the current practices on acute pain management of patients under opioid maintenance treatment (OMT), that is, buprenorphine or methadone. A total of 706 physicians were solicited through a national network to answer a survey about pain perception and analgesic strategies. Among the prescribers, 323 (46%) answered the survey: 131 (40%) physicians estimated that patients under OMT when exposed to an acute painful event feel more pain than other patients and 170 (53%) estimated that the patients felt the same amount of pain. Use of WHO step 1 analgesics was reported by 283 (88%) prescribers [264 (82%) prescribers reported use of paracetamol and 178 (55%) reported use of NSAIDs]. Among the second-line analgesic drugs, the WHO step 3 analgesics (mainly morphine) were the most commonly reported [221 physicians (68%)]. Overall, the results demonstrate the misconceptions of physicians on the pain tolerance of patients under OMT. Clinical studies and evidence-based guidelines are necessary to improve the therapeutic strategies for such patients in an emergency setting.

MeSH terms

  • Acetaminophen / therapeutic use
  • Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / therapeutic use
  • Analgesics, Opioid / therapeutic use
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use
  • Buprenorphine / therapeutic use
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Drug Utilization
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Humans
  • Methadone / therapeutic use
  • Opiate Substitution Treatment*
  • Pain Management
  • Pain Threshold
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians'*

Substances

  • Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
  • Acetaminophen
  • Buprenorphine
  • Methadone