2012, Article / Letter to editor (Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Traumatologie, vol. 20, iss. 5, (2012), pp. 138-143)Pijn is de meest voorkomende klacht op de spoedeisende hulp (SEH). Dit artikel richt zich op de prevalentie van pijn en de onderbehandeling van pijn bij volwassen traumapatiënten op de SEH. Het artikel presenteert nieuwe inzichten in de pijnbehandeling, gebaseerd op een recentelijk ontwikkelde richtlijn voor pijnbehandeling bij traumapatiënten in de spoedzorgketen. Tot slot beschrijven we specifiek de rol van de traumachirurg bij de behandeling van pijn bij traumapatiënten op de SEH.
2011, Article / Letter to editor (Clinical Journal of Pain, vol. 27, iss. 7, (2011), pp. 587-592)The aim of this study was to give insight in the prevalence of pain, and the (effect of) pain management according to the national emergency medical services analgesia protocol in trauma patients in the Netherlands. The retrospective document study included adult and alert trauma patients. Data collection concerned patient characteristics, prevalence of pain, and the (effect of) pain management. Actual pain management was compared with the national emergency medical services analgesia protocol for paramedics. Pain relief was defined as a decrease on the Numeric Rating Scale. One thousand four hundred and seven trauma patients were included. A report on pain was missing in 28% of the patients (n=393), 2% of the patients (n=34) reported no pain, and the prevalence of pain was reported by 70% of the patients (n=980). Of the patients in pain, 31% (n=311) had a systematic pain assessment (Numeric Rating Scale) at the scene of accident and the median pain score was 6 (interquartile range=3 to 8). Pharmacological pain treatment was administered to 42% of the patients in pain (n=410), and consisted mainly of intravenous fentanyl. Nonpharmacological pain treatments were cleaning of wounds (n=189), and application of splints or immobilizing bandages (n=130). Pain relief on arrival in the emergency department could only be evaluated in 15% of the patients in pain (n=149).