Analgesia in victims of traffic accidents: indicators for safety in emergency services

Abstract

This study aims to recognize indicators which can be used in clinical practice to evaluate and treat pain in victims of traffic accident, as well as to score the frequency and lesion severity in such population. This is an original and retrospective study with a sample of 200 records of patients admitted in the emergency room of a reference trauma center. The lesion severity was characterized according to anatomic severity indexes and the analgesic therapy was based on the World Health Organization analgesic ladder. There was a significant relationship between analgesia and number of lesions. The most frequent lesions were those of the limbs, head, face and external surface. Severity was less or equal to 3 in 85% of the cases and cerebral lesions were the most severe ones. The average number of lesions affects the decision to provide analgesia, to the detriment of trauma severity, gender and age. Injuries were mostly located in three body parts, except those on the head/neck. Lesions´ severity was mainly less or equal to 3.