Use of and attitudes to the role of medication for acute whiplash injury: A preliminary survey of emergency department doctors

Jane Nikles; Gerben Keijzers; Muthuwahandi Ishan Diluka De Silva; Subaat Khan; Michele Sterling

doi:10.1111/1742-6723.13190

Use of and attitudes to the role of medication for acute whiplash injury: A preliminary survey of emergency department doctors

Jane Nikles^*, Gerben Keijzers, Muthuwahandi Ishan Diluka De Silva, Subaat Khan, Michele Sterling

^*Corresponding author for this work

Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Objective: Describe current practice of medication prescribing for acute whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) in the ED and explore attitudes towards pregabalin prescription for WAD.

Methods: Questionnaire-based survey in two EDs collected data on demographics and self-reported medication prescribing for WAD. Comfort in various scenarios for pregabalin prescribing was rated.

Results: A total of 145/170 (85%) doctors responded; 42.8% were junior doctors. Self-reported medications prescribed were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (77.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 70.1–84.2]), paracetamol (75.2% [95% CI 67.2–81.8]), opioids (43.5% [95% CI 35.3–51.9]) and benzodiazepines (11.0% [95% CI 6.6–17.6]). Most were comfortable to prescribe pregabalin in evidence-based or advised-by-specialists scenarios.

Conclusions: Opioids appear to be over-prescribed. Further research into pregabalin prescription in ED is warranted.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	471-474
Number of pages	4
Journal	EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia
Volume	31
Issue number	3
Early online date	14 Oct 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.13190
Publication status	Published - Jun 2019

Access to Document

10.1111/1742-6723.13190

Cite this

@article{6b0879546b2449cc87fd9c07a9d07309,

title = "Use of and attitudes to the role of medication for acute whiplash injury: A preliminary survey of emergency department doctors",

abstract = "Objective: Describe current practice of medication prescribing for acute whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) in the ED and explore attitudes towards pregabalin prescription for WAD. Methods: Questionnaire-based survey in two EDs collected data on demographics and self-reported medication prescribing for WAD. Comfort in various scenarios for pregabalin prescribing was rated. Results: A total of 145/170 (85%) doctors responded; 42.8% were junior doctors. Self-reported medications prescribed were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (77.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 70.1–84.2]), paracetamol (75.2% [95% CI 67.2–81.8]), opioids (43.5% [95% CI 35.3–51.9]) and benzodiazepines (11.0% [95% CI 6.6–17.6]). Most were comfortable to prescribe pregabalin in evidence-based or advised-by-specialists scenarios. Conclusions: Opioids appear to be over-prescribed. Further research into pregabalin prescription in ED is warranted.",

author = "Jane Nikles and Gerben Keijzers and {De Silva}, {Muthuwahandi Ishan Diluka} and Subaat Khan and Michele Sterling",

year = "2019",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1111/1742-6723.13190",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

pages = "471--474",

journal = "EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia",

issn = "1742-6731",

publisher = "Wiley-Academy",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Use of and attitudes to the role of medication for acute whiplash injury: A preliminary survey of emergency department doctors

AU - Nikles, Jane

AU - Keijzers, Gerben

AU - De Silva, Muthuwahandi Ishan Diluka

AU - Khan, Subaat

AU - Sterling, Michele

PY - 2019/6

Y1 - 2019/6

N2 - Objective: Describe current practice of medication prescribing for acute whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) in the ED and explore attitudes towards pregabalin prescription for WAD. Methods: Questionnaire-based survey in two EDs collected data on demographics and self-reported medication prescribing for WAD. Comfort in various scenarios for pregabalin prescribing was rated. Results: A total of 145/170 (85%) doctors responded; 42.8% were junior doctors. Self-reported medications prescribed were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (77.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 70.1–84.2]), paracetamol (75.2% [95% CI 67.2–81.8]), opioids (43.5% [95% CI 35.3–51.9]) and benzodiazepines (11.0% [95% CI 6.6–17.6]). Most were comfortable to prescribe pregabalin in evidence-based or advised-by-specialists scenarios. Conclusions: Opioids appear to be over-prescribed. Further research into pregabalin prescription in ED is warranted.

AB - Objective: Describe current practice of medication prescribing for acute whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) in the ED and explore attitudes towards pregabalin prescription for WAD. Methods: Questionnaire-based survey in two EDs collected data on demographics and self-reported medication prescribing for WAD. Comfort in various scenarios for pregabalin prescribing was rated. Results: A total of 145/170 (85%) doctors responded; 42.8% were junior doctors. Self-reported medications prescribed were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (77.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 70.1–84.2]), paracetamol (75.2% [95% CI 67.2–81.8]), opioids (43.5% [95% CI 35.3–51.9]) and benzodiazepines (11.0% [95% CI 6.6–17.6]). Most were comfortable to prescribe pregabalin in evidence-based or advised-by-specialists scenarios. Conclusions: Opioids appear to be over-prescribed. Further research into pregabalin prescription in ED is warranted.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85054919442&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/1742-6723.13190

DO - 10.1111/1742-6723.13190

M3 - Article

C2 - 30317691

AN - SCOPUS:85054919442

SN - 1742-6731

VL - 31

SP - 471

EP - 474

JO - EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia

JF - EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia

IS - 3

ER -

Use of and attitudes to the role of medication for acute whiplash injury: A preliminary survey of emergency department doctors

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this