Nine recommendations for the emergency department for patients presenting with low back pain based on management and post-discharge outcomes in an Australian, tertiary emergency department

Objective: To ascertain and develop recommendations for analgesic management, discharge planning and further healthcare utilisation of adults presenting to an Australian tertiary ED with radicular or low back pain (LBP).Methods: This prospective cohort study included adults presenting with non-specific LBP or radicular pain to an Australian tertiary ED. Participants with trauma/cancer-related pain, and those requiring hospital admission or surgical interventions were excluded. The primary outcome was pharmacological and non-pharmacological management delivered in ED, retrospectively collected via electronic medical records. The secondary outcomes include discharge management use, and changes made due to post-discharge healthcare utilisation, as observed by weekly telephone questionnaires over 4-weeks follow-up.Results: Of the 100 participants recruited, 94 completed follow-up. In ED, pharmacological management was received by 85%, including opioids (62%) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, 63%). Non-pharmacological management was received by 73%, including patient education (71%) and exercise prescription (37%). In the first-week post-discharge, changes to initial discharge plan occurred in 50%, mostly carried out by GPs (76%). Over the follow-up period, 51% received additional investigations/referrals. Pharmacological use decreased by 38% and non-pharmacological use decreased by 10%. 16% of opioid-naive patients continued using opioids 4-weeks post-discharge.Conclusion: ED presentations for LBP were more often treated pharmacologically than non-pharmacologically, with opioids commonly prescribed and NSAIDs potentially under-utilised. Post-discharge, additional investigations/referrals, discharge analgesia reductions and maintenance of non-pharmacological management were common. Opioid initiation as a result of LBP presentations, signifies a potential 'gateway' towards unintentional long-term use. Key study findings form our nine recommendations to inform ED LBP pain management.

Automated summary

In adults presenting to an Australian tertiary ED with radicular or low back pain, pharmacological management is more common than non-pharmacological management, with opioids frequently prescribed and NSAIDs potentially under-utilised. Post-discharge, additional investigations/referrals, reduction in discharge analgesia, and maintenance of non-pharmacological management are common. The initiation of opioids for LBP presentations signifies a potential gateway towards unintentional long-term use.