Higher daily pain severity after emergency department visits is associated with lower return-to-work rates.

Background: Pain can impair functional status, including a patient's ability to return to work. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was an association between pain levels and return-to-work status during the first 4 days post-ED discharge in ED patients seen for undifferentiated acute pain.

Methods: This secondary analysis of data from the Acute Management of Pain from the Emergency Department (AMPED) registry included patients who reported working either full-time or part-time.