Browsing by Author "Ali, Samina"

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    How Safe Are Common Analgesics for the Treatment of Acute Pain for Children? A Systematic Review
    (2016-12-18) Hartling, Lisa; Ali, Samina; Dryden, Donna M.; Chordiya, Pritam; Johnson, David W.; Plint, Amy C.; Stang, Antonia; McGrath, Patrick J.; Drendel, Amy L.
    Background. Fear of adverse events and occurrence of side effects are commonly cited by families and physicians as obstructive to appropriate use of pain medication in children. We examined evidence comparing the safety profiles of three groups of oral medications, acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and opioids, to manage acute nonsurgical pain in children (ud_less_than18 years) treated in ambulatory settings. Methods. A comprehensive search was performed to July 2015, including review of national data registries. Two reviewers screened articles for inclusion, assessed methodological quality, and extracted data. Risks (incidence rates) were pooled using a random effects model. Results. Forty-four studies were included; 23 reported on adverse events. Based on limited current evidence, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and opioids have similar nausea and vomiting profiles. Opioids have the greatest risk of central nervous system adverse events. Dual therapy with a nonopioid/opioid combination resulted in a lower risk of adverse events than opioids alone. Conclusions. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen have similar reported adverse effects and notably less adverse events than opioids. Dual therapy with a nonopioid/opioid combination confers a protective effect for adverse events over opioids alone. This research highlights challenges in assessing medication safety, including lack of more detailed information in registry data, and inconsistent reporting in trials.
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    Quality Indicators for the Assessment and Management of Pain in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review
    (2014-01-01) Stang, Antonia S; Hartling, Lisa; Fera, Cassandra; Johnson, David; Ali, Samina
    BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that pain is undertreated in the emergency department (ED). The first step in improving the pain experience for ED patients is to accurately and systematically assess the actual care being provided. Identifying gaps in the assessment and treatment of pain and improving patient outcomes requires relevant, evidence-based performance measures.OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the literature and identify quality indicators specific to the assessment and management of pain in the ED.METHODS: Four major bibliographical databases were searched from January 1980 to December 2010, and relevant journals and conference proceedings were manually searched. Original research that described the development or collection of data on one or more quality indicators relevant to the assessment or management of pain in the ED was included.RESULTS: The search identified 18,078 citations. Twenty-three articles were included: 15 observational (cohort) studies; three before-after studies; three audits; one quality indicator development study; and one survey. Methodological quality was moderate, with weaknesses in the reporting of study design and methodology. Twenty unique indicators were identified, with the majority (16 of 20) measuring care processes. Overall, 91% (21 of 23) of the studies reported indicators for the assessment or management of presenting pain, as opposed to procedural pain. Three of the studies included children; however, none of the indicators were developed specifically for a pediatric population.CONCLUSION: Gaps in the existing literature include a lack of measures reflecting procedural pain, patient outcomes and the pediatric population. Future efforts should focus on developing indicators specific to these key areas.