2-20 PAIN MANAGEMENT
From CRS EMS Guidelines
Revision as of 14:06, 6 November 2025 by Cgabryszek (talk | contribs)
Purpose: To ensure that pain and nausea are appropriately addressed in the field to promote safe and comfortable management and transport of the patient.
Inclusion Criteria without prior Medical Control Authorization:
- Musculoskeletal injury
- Burns
- Chest Pain
- Abdominal or flank pain
- Age greater than 6
- Systolic BP > 100 mm Hg in an adult
- Now known allergies to medications being administered
- No known exclusion criteria present
Inclusion Criteria that require Medical Control contact prior to medication administration:
- Pregnancy
- Age <6 (may require dosage adjustment)
- Weight <20 kg (may require dosage adjustment)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Known allergy to medication
- Respiratory distress with potential for patient fatigue
- Systolic BP < 100 mm Hg
- Altered Mental Status
- Multi System Trauma
Protocol:
EMT - Emergency Medical Technician
- Obtain vital signs and allergies
- Ask patient to rate pain
- If the patient indicates mild to moderate extremity pain and has no evidence of open fracture, obvious dislocation, or obvious deformity administer acetaminophen 500 mg orally.
INTERMEDIATE - PERFORM/CONFIRM ALL ABOVE INTERVENTIONS
- Obtain vital signs and allergies
- Ask patient to rate pain on scale of 1 to 10
- Establish an IV of NS TKO
- If patient indicates a pain scale of greater than 5 and has no signs of poor perfusion or respiratory depression:
- For patients 6-75 years old: Administer fentanyl (Sublimaze) 0.5-1 mcg/kg INTRANASAL/INTRAMUSCULAR or mixed in 5 mL normal saline and given IV/IO push over 2-4 minutes to a maximum single dose of 100 mcg IV. Reassess patient vital signs and pain scale after 5 minutes.
- For patients > 75 years old: Administer fentanyl (Sublimaze) 0.5 mcg/kg INTRANASAL/INTRAMUSCULAR or mixed in 5 mL normal saline and given IV/IO push over 2-4 minutes to a maximum single dose of 100 mcg IV/IO. Reassess patient vital signs and pain scale after 5 minutes.
- Reassess pain scale and vital signs including pulse oximetry every 5 minutes
- If sufficient pain relief is not obtained with the initial dose, then an additional dose of fentanyl (Sublimaze) 0.5 mcg/kg may be administered IV, IN, IM, or IO provided systolic BP remains above 100 mm Hg for a total max dose of 150 mcg
- Ondansetron (Zofran) 4 mg IV/IO or IN may be administered for control of patient nausea as needed with or without pain medication. contact ☎ MEDICAL CONTROL ☎ for further doses of Zofran if sufficient relief is not obtained.
PARAMEDIC - PERFORM/CONFIRM ALL ABOVE INTERVENTIONS
- For severe pain consider ketamine as a first line drug for pain.
- The initial recommended dose of KETAMINE is 0.5mg/kg IV/IO/IN
- If KETAMINE is administered and there are any signs of emergence phenomena, such as hallucinations, delirium, or increasing agitation, contact ☎ MEDICAL CONTROL ☎ for discussion of supplemental Versed.
- Initiate transport and contact ☎ MEDICAL CONTROL ☎ for further orders.
- Reassess vital signs, mental status, pain level and respiratory effort and if continued pain over 5, contact ☎ MEDICAL CONTROL ☎ for any further dosages.