Episode 183 - Pain Control In EMS - The MCHD Analgesia Ladder

The podcast crew takes on the topic of prehospital analgesia. What pain medication do we choose when facing a complex patient with all analgesics available? Are there better options for hypotensive patients? What about pregnancy and the elderly? On this episode, we'll walk through our MCHD pain medication options, take a moment for a BLS reminder, and discuss some specific situations where certain medications are the best fit. REFERENCES 1. McArthur, R., Cash, R. E., Rafique, Z., Dickson, R., Crocker, K., Crowe, R. P., Wells, M., Chu, K., Nguyen, J., & Patrick, C. (2024). Intravenous Acetaminophen Versus Ketorolac for Prehospital Analgesia: A Retrospective Data Review. The Journal of emergency medicine, 67(3), e259–e267. 2. McArthur, R., Cash, R. E., Anderson, J., De La Rosa, X., Peckne, P., Hogue, D., Badawood, L., Secrist, E., Andrabi, S., & Patrick, C. (2025). Fentanyl versus nebulized ketamine for prehospital analgesia: A retrospective data review. The American journal of emergency medicine, 89, 124–128. 3. Powell, J. R., Browne, L. R., Guild, K., Shah, M. I., Crowe, R. P., Lindbeck, G., Braithwaite, S., Lang, E. S., Panchal, A. R., & Technical Expert Panel (2023). Evidence-Based Guidelines for Prehospital Pain Management: Literature and Methods. Prehospital emergency care, 27(2), 154–161. 4. Aceves, A., Crowe, R. P., Zaidi, H. Q., Gill, J., Johnson, R., Vithalani, V., Fairbrother, H., & Huebinger, R. (2023). Disparities in Prehospital Non-Traumatic Pain Management. Prehospital emergency care, 27(6), 794–799.