Survey of pain etiology, management practices and patient satisfaction in two urban emergency departments.

Objective: The underuse of analgesics, or "oligoanalgesia," is common in emergency departments (EDs). To improve care we must understand our patients' pain experiences as well as our clinical practice patterns. To this end, we examined pain etiology, pain management practices and patient satisfaction in 2 urban EDs.

The Alzheimer's challenge.

We underestimate our ability to communicate with and treat patients with Alzheimer's. Knowledge about the disease's origin, progression and symptomology can help EMS providers effectively communicate and treat patients with dementia.

Documentation of ED patient pain by nurses and physicians.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate ED documentation of patient pain in light of the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's emphasis on pain assessment and management. A prospectively designed pain management survey was offered to patients on ED discharge. Documentation of pain intensity by ED nurses and physicians was retrospectively reviewed.