Scoring and treating pre-hospital pain

Session 1: Widening options for prehospital trauma pain: effectiveness and costs of inhaled methoxyflurane versus usual analgesia in adults with moderate to severe pain due to trauma
Prof Niro Siriwardena

Acute pain is often inadequately treated in adults with traumatic injury, partly due to insufficient analgesic options. As inhaled methoxyflurane, licensed in Europe for this indication, had limited evidence of clinical effectiveness in the prehospital setting, we aimed to investigate clinical effectiveness and costs of methoxyflurane administered by ambulance staff compared with usual analgesic practice (UAP) for patients with trauma pain. We implemented methoxyflurane in adults with moderate to severe trauma pain attended by staff in one ambulance service and used an observational design comparing it with Entonox® and parenteral analgesics for change in verbal numerical pain scores (VNPS) over time. Clinical efficacy was tested using an Ordered Probit panel regression model of pain linked by observational rules to VNPS. Scenario analyses were used to compare durations under analgesia spent in severe pain, and costs. Data and findings from the study will be presented and discussed.

Prescribing Information is available by clicking here: https://penthrox.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/PI-UK-and-ROI.pdf

Session 2: Rating pain in clinical practice
Dr. Enrico Dippenaar

The experience of pain is a complex bodily mechanism that is triggered by actual or potential tissue damage. To treat pain effectively, clinicians first need to determine the intensity or severity of a patient’s pain. They commonly use pain scales to derive either a visual or numerical score. Patients are often asked to self-report the level of pain they are experiencing as the intensity cannot be objectively measured, with pain being a subjective and individual experience. In this session we will be reviewing the core concepts associated with rating pain, the types of scales available and how to use a pain rating to guide clinical interventions, i.e., pain relief. I will present some of my own research into the use of pain rating scales and its potential inclusion in early warning systems.

This webinar series is supported and sponsored by Galen Limited. Information intended for UK and ROI healthcare professionals only.

MAT-PEN-UKI-000328 Date of preparation: August 2021