The pyramid of pain management involves sequential drug escalation but its role is limited in an emergency department (ED). The efficacy of parental opioid analgesics versus non-opioid analgesic in acute pain management of trauma victims in the ED was evaluated to formulate protocol.

All alert patients with a baseline visual analogue scale score (≥ 7) was randomly assigned either parental non-opioid (Group A) or opioid analgesics (Group B). The emergency care providers noted the VAS in either group at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes, and at the time of discharge from the ED. If the patient's VAS score did not reduce by 50% at 30 minutes, repeat parental analgesics was given. The oral analgesics prescribed at the time of discharge were documented. Ethical clearance was taken. Data was compiled and analyzed.

Of 106 patients, 99 were analyzed. The mean age in Group A was 33.2 ± 13.2 years and 32.5 ± 18 years in Group B. The male:female ratio in Group A was 1.5:1 and 7:1 in Group B. The average baseline VAS score in Group A was 7.5, and that of Group B was 8.96. The average VAS at 15, 30, and 60 minutes and at discharge in Group A was 5.4, 5.34, 4.3, and 3.5 and it was 6.1, 6, 5.1, and 4.4. Repeat parental dose of analgesics were required in 95/99 (95%) patients in Group A and 5% that of Group B. The most common prescription at discharge from ED was non-opioid analgesics.

Acute pain relief was comparable in both groups. Non-opioid analgesics may be preferred over opioid in VAS score ± 7 in a busy emergency department for early disposition.