Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T07:12:03.935Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Orthopedic extremity trauma – sprains, strains, and fractures

from Chief complaints and diagnoses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2009

Stephen H. Thomas
Affiliation:
Harvard Medical School
Get access

Summary

While mechanical approaches (e.g. splinting) are important in managing sprain, strain, and fracture (SSF) pain, pharmacotherapy retains an important position for orthopedic analgesia. Systemic analgesics used for SSF include acetaminophen (paracetamol), NSAIDs, and opioids. This chapter focuses on systemically active analgesics. Pain relief for SSF can often be facilitated with local or regional injection of local anesthetics. Opioids have long been effectively used for severe SSF pain. Intravenous opioids (e.g. morphine) remain the most effective means for achieving both rapid analgesia and sustained relief (e.g. using patient-controlled analgesia) in most SSF conditions when combined with acetaminophen, the mixed-mechanism opioid tramadol is found to be equally efficacious to hydrocodone for relieving SSF pain. Many combination products are available and often include an opioid and a weaker analgesic such as acetaminophen or aspirin. However, few studies have rigorously evaluated their performance against alternative approaches such as opioid monotherapy.
Type
Chapter
Information
Emergency Department Analgesia
An Evidence-Based Guide
, pp. 323 - 330
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×