ArticleCJEM2026
An evaluation of emergency pain assessment and management practices in fragility vertebral compression fractures.
Article in CJEM, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVertebral compression fractures are a common ED presentation in older adults and often lead to significant pain and functional decline. Oligoanalgesia can worsen morbidity. We aimed to describe pain assessment and management practices for older adults presenting to the ED with fragility vertebral compression fractures.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective health records review of adults ≥ 65 years presenting to two tertiary EDs with acute thoracic or lumbar fragility vertebral compression fractures between August 2017 and August 2022. Patients with polytrauma, pathologic, or age-indeterminate fractures were excluded. Eligible cases were identified by ICD-10-CA codes, and data were abstracted using a standardized form. Primary outcomes were initial pain assessment, pain reassessment, and analgesic administration. Secondary outcomes included use of consultant and allied health services, discharge prescriptions, disposition, and 30-day return ED visits. Descriptive statistics were used.
resultsOf 646 screened patients, 296 met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 81.4 (SD 8.3) years; 69.0% were female. An initial pain assessment was documented in 65.5%, but only 4.1% had a discharge pain score documented. Of those who had an initial pain assessment, 51.7% had pain reassessments during their ED care. 10.1% of patients received no analgesia. Acetaminophen (68.6%), opioids (54.7%), and NSAIDs (25.7%) were most frequently used. Consultants were contacted for 45.3% of patients. Allied health services were consulted for 23.3% of patients. Nearly one-third (30.4%) were admitted, primarily for pain management (62.2%); 19.3% of discharged patients returned within 30 days.
conclusionEmergency department care of older adults presenting with acute fragility compression fractures is suboptimal. Nearly one in three older adults did not have a pain assessment and one in ten received no analgesia during their ED visit. Identifying and overcoming barriers to quality care is crucial to ensure effective pain management for this population.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42252368What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.