Research Article

Pain in the Prehospital Setting in Rwanda: Results of a Mixed-Methods Quality Improvement Project

Table 1

Pain etiology and location by patients with documented pain and those who received pain medications.

Pain characteristicPatients with documented pain (%)Patients who received pain medications (%)

Total(n = 6,168)(n = 5,010)
Age31.5 y (±13)31 y (±12)
Sex
 Male4,661 (76)3,795 (76.5)
 Female1,457 (24)1,172 (23.5)
Etiology
 Trauma (total patients = 6,266)5,724 (93)4,618 (92)
 Road traffic incidents4,308 (70)3,578 (71.5)
 Assaults652 (10.5)485 (9.5)
 Fall452 (7.5)330 (6.5)
 Burns60 (1)53 (1.0)
 Others249 (4)112 (2)
 Medical (total patients = 3,062)439 (7)306 (6)
 OB-GYN (total patients = 1,781)8 (0.1)69 (1.5)
Location of pain
 Lower limb2,414 (39)1951 (39)
 Skull2,186 (35.5)1304 (26)
 Face1,701 (27.5)1695 (34)
 Upper limb1,380 (22)1069 (21.5)
 Chest861 (14)551 (11)
 Spine/back477 (7.5)372 (7.5)
 Others609 (10)367 (7)
Acuity
 Absolute637 (10.5)567 (11.5)
 Relative4,431 (73.0)3,713 (75.5)
 No urgency998 (16.5)646 (13.0)