Analgesic efficacy of orodispersible paracetamol in patients admitted to the emergency department with an osteoarticular injury.

INTRODUCTION: Acute pain still persists in patients under treatment after admission to emergency departments (ED). The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of 1 g of paracetamol in patients presenting an osteoarticular injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study included all patients admitted to the ED with an osteoarticular injury and a pain score above 30 on the visual analogue scale (VAS). Patients were selected on admission by the reception nurse and given paracetamol within 5 min of admission. VAS scores were recorded 30 and 60 min after admission. On discharge from the ED, the patients underwent a further VAS assessment and were asked a question about pain relief (yes/no answer). The primary endpoint was the VAS score at 60 min. The secondary endpoint was the pain relief expressed by the patient on discharge from the ED. RESULTS: Five hundred and seventy-one patients were included. The median stay in the ED was 90 min (75-120 min). The diagnoses at discharge were sprain or dislocation (ankle, knee, and wrist) for 287 patients, fracture for 102 patients, and other injury for 182 patients. In 69% of the patients, the injured limb was immobilized. The median VAS score on admission was 57. A significant difference was seen between the median VAS on admission and at 1 h after admission (57+/-18 vs. 30+/-18; P<0.0001), and between the median VAS score at admission and the score at discharge from the ED (57+/-18 vs. 26+/-18, P<0.0001). Finally, 81% of the patients expressed pain relief. On discharge from the ED, a gain of 20 mm on the VAS had a positive predictive value of 93% [area under curve (AUC): 89; CI: 86-92; P=0.001], for the endpoint 'patients stating pain relief'. CONCLUSION: A simple and easily applicable protocol of pain management permits the achievement of satisfactory analgesia during a patient's stay in the ED.

[Creatinine clearance and drug prescriptions for the elderly. A study of 419 patients older than 70 years admitted through the emergency department]. / Prise en compte de la clairance de la créatinine lors de la prescription médicamenteuse chez les sujets âgés. Etude de 419 dossiers de patients de plus de 70 ans adressés aux urgences.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of drug-related adverse events increases with age. In approximately 20% of cases, these events necessitate hospitalization. By taking into account the physiological changes associated with aging when prescribing drugs, physicians can prevent some of these events. The objective of this study was to analyze the prescriptions written by general practitioners for elderly patients admitted to the emergency department in relation to the patient's creatinine clearance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Of 968 consecutive patients older than 70 years, 419 underwent a plasma creatinine assay on admission and were included in this study. Creatinine clearance was calculated with Cockcroft's formula. The patients were classified into two groups according to creatinine clearance:<30 mL/min (group I) and >or=30 mL/min (group II). RESULTS: Creatinine clearance was<30 mL/min in 84 of the 419 patients (group I) and >or=30 mL/min in 335 (group II). Mean age was significantly higher in group I than in group II (87 +/- 6 vs 81 +/- 6 years, p<0.001), as was mean plasma creatinine concentration (113 +/- 23 vs 83 +/- 19 mmol/L, p<0.001), while mean weight was significantly lower (57 +/- 10 vs 69 +/- 13 kg, p<0.001. In group I, 82 drugs with precautions concerning renal function had been prescribed for 69 (82%) patients, and in group II, 331 such drugs for 174 (52%) patients. Of the 82 drugs prescribed in group I that required precaution, 47 (57%) were contraindicated or prescribed at an inappropriate dose in view of the creatinine clearance. Irrespective of pharmacokinetic parameters, the mean number of drugs taken per patient was 5 +/- 2 in group I and 6 +/-2 in group II. CONCLUSION: In prescribing drugs for elderly patients, especially those whose weight is low, careful attention should be paid to renal function.