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Impact of an Early Analgesia Protocol on Time to Pain Management in the Emergency Department

DOI : https://doi.org/10.36349/easjacc.2026.v08i02.008
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Background: Delays in the administration of analgesia remain common in emergency departments, with more than 75% of patients experiencing treatment delays exceeding 60 minutes. This persistent undertreatment contributes to oligoanalgesia and avoidable patient suffering. Objective: To evaluate the effect of implementing an early analgesia protocol on time to pain management in the emergency department of Essos Hospital Center over a 3-month period. Methods: We performed a quasi-experimental before-and-after study including 180 consecutive adult patients presenting with moderate to severe acute pain (visual analogue scale [VAS] ≥4). The intervention consisted of a standardised, protocol-driven analgesia algorithm combined with focused staff training. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients receiving analgesia within 30 minutes of triage. Secondary outcomes included median time to analgesic administration, pain intensity at 60 minutes (VAS), and patient satisfaction at 24 hours. Results: Following implementation of the protocol, the proportion of patients receiving analgesia within 30 minutes increased significantly from 21% to 66% (p<0.001). The median time to analgesic administration was reduced from 76 minutes (IQR, not reported) to 29 minutes, and mean pain scores at 60 minutes decreased from 6.2±1.3 to 3.3±1.0 (p<0.001). Patient satisfaction at 24 hours improved markedly, rising from 48% to 79% (p<0.001). Conclusion: The introduction of an early, protocol-driven analgesia strategy in the emergency department was associated with a substantial reduction in treatment delays and a clinically meaningful improvement in pain relief and patient satisfaction. These findings support the routine implementation of structured analgesia pathways to optimise the timely management of acute pain in resource-limited emergency care settings.

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Professor Thomas Count Dracula, MD, PhD

Distinguished Professor of Haematology Head — Experimental, Historical & Sensory Haematology Vlad the Impaler University, Wolf’s Lane, Wooden Stakes Grove 666, Transylvania.

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