Skip to main content

Table 2 Patient and pain characteristics with subdivision in desire for analgesics

From: Pain score, desire for pain treatment and effect on pain satisfaction in the emergency department: a prospective, observational study

Patient factors

Desire for analgesics

No desire for analgesics

p-value

(n = 146)

(n = 188)

Gender

   

 Male (n = 177)

72 (40.7%)

105 (59.3%)

0.235

 Female (n = 157)

74 (47.1%)

83 (52.9%)

Mean age (SD)

48.38 (18.44)

49.06 (18.39)

0.675

Triage colour code

   

 Blue (n = 7)

2 (28.6%)

5 (71.4%)

0.010

 Green (n = 130)

45 (34.6%)

85 (65.4%)

 Yellow (n = 175)

84 (48%)

91 (52%)

 Orange (n = 18)

13 (72.2%)

5 (27.8%)

 Red (n = 4)

2 (50%)

2 (50%)

Specialty of referral

   

 Traumatology (n = 78)

38 (48.7%)

40 (51.3%)

0.121

 Internal medicine (n = 50)

22 (44%)

28 (56%)

 Emergency medicine (n = 26)

12 (46.2%)

14 (53.8%)

 Cardiology (n = 45)

12 (26.7%)

33 (73.3%)

 Abdominal surgery (n = 32)

17 (53.1%)

15 (46.9%)

 Orthopedics (n = 32)

9 (28.1%)

23 (71.9%)

 Lung diseases (n = 16)

7 (43.8%)

9 (56.3%)

 Neurology (n = 15)

9 (60%)

6 (40%)

 Other (n = 40)

20 (50%)

20 (50%)

Pain location

   

 Upper extremities (n = 47)

18 (38.3%)

29 (61.7%)

0.033

 Lower extremities (n = 54)

23 (42.6%)

31 (57.4%)

 Abdomen (n = 75)

42 (56%)

33 (44%)

 Head/face (n = 24)

13 (54.2%)

11 (45.8%)

 Back (n = 12)

7 (58.3%)

5 (41.7%)

 Chest (n = 54)

14 (25.9%)

40 (74.1%)

 Neck (n = 3)

1 (33.3%)

2 (66.7%)

 More than 1 location (n = 47)

23 (48.9%)

24 (51.1%)

 Other (n = 18)

5 (27.8%)

13 (72.2%)

Pain duration

   

  < 2 h (n = 68)

32 (47.1%)

36 (52.9%)

0.047

 2–6 h (n = 52)

27 (51.9%)

25 (48.1%)

 6–12 h (n = 31)

19 (61.3%)

12 (38.7%)

 12 h – 3 days (n = 78)

32 (41.0%)

46 (59.0%)

  > 3 days (n = 105)

36 (34.3%)

69 (65.7%)

Pain pattern

   

 Constant (n = 259)

122 (47.1%)

137 (52.9%)

0.020

 Intermittent (n = 75)

24 (32%)

51 (68%)

Pain character

   

 Sharp (n = 121)

58 (47.9%)

63 (52.1%)

0.425

 Pressing (n = 66)

27 (40.9%)

39 (59.1%)

 Nagging (n = 62)

31 (50%)

31 (50%)

 Burning (n = 18)

5 (27.8%)

13 (72.2%)

 Cramping (n = 7)

3 (42.9%)

4 (57.1%)

 More than 1 answer (n = 48)

19 (39.6%)

29 (60.4%)

 Other (n = 12)

3 (25%)

9 (75%)

Mean initial pain score (SD)

7.01 (1.94)

5.14 (2.19)

0.029

Pre-ED analgesics

   

 Yes (n = 170)

83 (48.8%)

87 (51.2%)

0.055

 No (n = 164)

63 (38.4%)

101 (61.6%)

Analgesia allergy

   

 Yes (n = 17)

8 (47.1%)

9 (52.9%)

0.775

 No (n = 317)

138 (43.5%)

179 (56.5%)

  1. P-values show differences of the whole factor group in relation to desire vs. no desire for analgesia