Pain Evaluation and Treatment in the Emergency Department

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
All patients admitted in Geneva University Hospitals (GUH) emergency department (ED) are triaged using the Swiss Emergency Triage Scale (SETS), a 4-level symptom-based triage scale. At the end of the triage process the triage nurse has to choose an emergency level and a main presenting complaint among a listing of 98 presenting complaints. The SETS recommends a pain evaluation for 44 out of the SETS 98 presenting complaint. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether pain is correctly evaluated when required by the SETS criteria. The secondary objectives are (1) to evaluate whether an appropriate treatment is delivered when pain is present, and (2) to identify predictors of pain evaluation and treatment.

Detailed Description
-----------------
All patients admitted in Geneva University Hospitals (GUH) emergency department (ED) are triaged using the Swiss Emergency Triage Scale (SETS), a 4-level symptom-based triage scale. At the end of the triage process the triage nurse has to choose an emergency level and a main presenting complaint among a listing of 98 presenting complaints. The SETS recommends a pain evaluation for 44 out of the SETS 98 presenting complaint. After this evaluation, a protocol standardize administration of analgesia for patients presenting pain. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether pain is correctly evaluated when required by the SETS criteria for the 44 presenting complaints. The secondary objectives are (1) to evaluate whether an appropriate treatment is delivered when pain is present, and (2) to identify predictors of pain evaluation and treatment.

Official Title
-----------------
Pain Evaluation and Treatment in the Emergency Department

Conditions
-----------------
Pain, Acute, Emergencies

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Other: Pain evaluation


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: adult (>= 16y) patients admitted at GUH ED during one year presenting complaint requiring pain evaluation accordingly to the SETS criteria Exclusion Criteria: < 16 y presenting complaint that does not require a pain evaluation accordingly to the SETS criteria

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 16 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
No

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Pain triage complaint<br>Patients admitted at GUH ED triaged with a main complaint requiring a pain evaluation. | Other: Pain evaluation<br>* Evaluation of pain using a numerical scale (1 to 10)<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Proportion of patients with appropriate pain evaluation | Percentage of patients with a documented assessement of pain using a numerical scale (0 to 10) | Within 24 hours after ED admission | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Proportion of patients with appropriate pain treatment | Percentage of patients who received an appropriate treatment accordingly to the ED recommendations. | Within 24 hours after ED admission | 

 Terms related to the study
=================
Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
-----------------
triage