AccScience Publishing / EJMO / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EJMO025220224
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Time to analgesia delivery in musculoskeletal trauma care: An observational study

May Ohn1 ,  Zaw Myo Hein2* ,  Ahmed B. A. Elami3 ,  Abdullah Duraid Nasif Jasim2 ,  Abdullatif Nasser Alatta2 ,  Mohammad Ayman2 ,  Swe Swe Latt4 ,  Khin Ohn5
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1 Department of Cardiology, King’s College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
2 Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
3 Department of Graduate Medical Education, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
4 Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin Malaysia Campus, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
5 Department of Orthopaedic, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
EJMO, 025220224 https://doi.org/10.36922/EJMO025220224
Received: 28 May 2025 | Revised: 20 July 2025 | Accepted: 11 August 2025 | Published online: 18 September 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Introduction: Timely administration of analgesia is fundamental to emergency musculoskeletal trauma care. Delays contribute to suboptimal outcomes, patient dissatisfaction, and the potential progression to chronic pain.

Objective: This study aims to assess door-to-analgesia time (DTAT) in the emergency department (ED) and to identify factors contributing to delays.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted over 5 months, enrolling 90 adult patients with musculoskeletal trauma at an urban tertiary ED. Pain intensity was recorded using a numerical rating scale at triage, pre- and post-analgesia, and discharge. Patients were stratified into Group A (DTAT ≤30 min) and Group B (DTAT >30 min). Statistical analyses were performed to identify predictors of delayed analgesia and to evaluate pain relief efficacy.

Results: The mean DTAT was 40.6 min, with 45% of patients receiving analgesia within 30 min. Older age (>45 years) was a significant predictor of prolonged DTAT (>45 min; p<0.05). No significant differences in DTAT were observed across triage categories (T2: 34.4 min vs. T3: 43.6 min; p>0.05). Analgesia administration led to a 50% reduction in mean pain score; however, DTAT was not significantly associated with patient satisfaction.

Conclusion: Delayed analgesia remains a challenge, particularly among older patients. Strategies such as nurse-initiated analgesia, enhanced triage protocols, and optimized resource allocation may improve DTAT and patient outcomes. Multicenter studies are warranted to validate and refine pain management protocols in ED settings.

Keywords
Musculoskeletal trauma
Pain
Analgesia time
Quality improvement
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing
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