Non-White patients have a lower likelihood of having pain scores reported and of receiving analgesia during prehospital care for traumatic injuries, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University.
The researchers found that American Indian and Alaskan Native patients had the lowest rate of having a pain score recorded compared with White patients. For patients with a high pain score recorded, Black patients were less likely to receive opioid or ketamine analgesia compared with White patients, despite having a pain score recorded almost as frequently as White patients.
“These results suggest that patients from racial and ethnic minority groups with acute traumatic injuries do not have their pain treated equitably in the prehospital setting,” the authors write.
See “Disparities Seen in Prehospital Pain Care of Traumatic Injuries” (October 19, 2023)
