Physician Co-Authors Textbook on Emergency Sedation and Pain Management
ALBANY, N.Y., March 12, 2008 - While pain is the presenting complaint for nearly 70 percent of all patients visiting an emergency department, standards for pain management in the emergency setting have only evolved over the last 15 years. John Burton, M.D., emergency medicine residency program director and professor of emergency medicine at Albany Medical College, has been at the forefront of the evolution of pain management in the emergency setting, and has recently co-authored Emergency Sedation and Pain Management, a textbook intended to address sedation and pain management with emphasis on patients with emergent needs.
According to Burton, sedation and pain management are typically the role of the anesthesiologist, however, emergency and acute care situations present a unique environment.
“Emergency patients are often injured or disoriented and sometimes are unable to communicate,” said Burton. “Additionally, some procedures performed in an emergency department such as a fracture reduction or repair of a dislocation may inflict further pain upon the patient.”
Burton began researching emergency sedation and pain management as a resident, and over the past 15 years has established himself as an expert on the subject. The textbook represents the developments that have evolved in the field over this time.
“Years ago, we too commonly had a lot of pain and suffering in emergency medical treatment, so a number of us thought we should find an effective way to keep patients comfortable while maintaining a safe environment. This book represents those principles.”
Burton explains that in order to practice procedural sedation effectively, an emergency department should optimally have access to highly skilled emergency physician and nursing staff as well as consultants such as orthopedists, trauma surgeons, and anesthesiologists. These resources are commonly found at a Level 1 trauma hospital such as Albany Medical Center, where an integrated approach can be taken to delivery of an experienced, comprehensive pain and sedation strategy.
A number of physicians from around the country contributed to the book, including several from Albany Medical Center. The book, published by Cambridge University Press, is co-authored by James Miner, M.D., director of performance improvement and associate research director in the department of emergency medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center, and associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
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Sue Ford
