Oligoanalgesia in a rural emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: Multiple studies conducted over many years have demonstrated that pain is poorly managed in the emergency department (ED). This phenomenon has been referred to in the medical literature as "oligoanalgesia." However, little is known about whether oligoanalgesia occurs in a rural ED. National Ambulatory Care Reporting System data from 2003 for a small rural hospital in Ontario showed patients were satisfied with the amount of pain …