Elbow Dislocation in Emergency Medicine Medication

  • Author: James E Keany, MD, FACEP; Chief Editor: Rick Kulkarni, MD   more...
 
Updated: Jul 20, 2011
 

Medication Summary

Analgesics and anxiolytics are used to treat the pain associated with dislocations.

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Analgesics

Class Summary

Pain control is essential to quality patient care. It ensures patient comfort, promotes pulmonary toilet, and aids physical therapy regimens. Many analgesics have sedating properties that benefit patients who have sustained injuries.

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Fentanyl citrate (Duragesic, Sublimaze)

 

Narcotic analgesic with more potency and much shorter half-life than morphine sulfate. DOC for conscious sedation analgesia. With short duration (30-60 min) and ease of titration, an excellent choice for pain management and sedation. Easily and quickly reversed by naloxone. After initial dose, subsequent doses should not be titrated more frequently than q3h or q6h.

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Oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet)

 

Drug combination indicated for relief of moderately severe to severe pain. DOC for aspirin-hypersensitive patients.

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Oxycodone and aspirin (Percodan)

 

Drug combination indicated for relief of moderately severe to severe pain.

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Hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen (Vicodin ES)

 

Drug combination indicated for relief of moderately severe to severe pain.

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Morphine sulfate (MS Contin, MSIR)

 

DOC for analgesia due to reliable and predictable effects, safety profile, and ease of reversibility with naloxone.

Various IV doses are used; commonly titrated until desired effect obtained.

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Anxiolytics

Class Summary

Patients with painful injuries usually experience significant anxiety. Anxiolytics allow the clinician to administer a smaller analgesic dose to achieve the same effect.

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Diazepam (Valium)

 

Individualize dosage and increase cautiously to avoid adverse effects. By increasing activity of GABA, a major inhibitory neurotransmitter, depresses all levels of CNS, including limbic and reticular formation.

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Lorazepam (Ativan)

 

Sedative hypnotic in benzodiazepine class with short onset of effect and relatively long half-life. By increasing activity of GABA, a major inhibitory neurotransmitter, may depress all levels of CNS, including limbic and reticular formation. Excellent medication when patient needs to be sedated for >1 d. Monitor patient's BP after administering dose and adjust as necessary.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

James E Keany, MD, FACEP  Medical Director, TravelMDAssist; Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Services, Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center

James E Keany, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, and California Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Dekker McKeever, DPM  Chief Podiatric Surgery Resident Physician, Trauma and Reconstruction Specialist, Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Joseph J Sachter, MD, FACEP  Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center

Joseph J Sachter, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physician Executives, American Medical Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

David B Levy, DO, FACEP, FAAEM  Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, St Elizabeth Health Center; Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine

David B Levy, DO, FACEP, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Medical Informatics Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Rick Kulkarni, MD  Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

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Anteroposterior radiograph of the elbow demonstrates the normal anatomy.
Lateral radiograph of the elbow demonstrates the normal anatomy.
Lateral view of the elbow demonstrates a posterior dislocation of the elbow. The patient also had a nondisplaced radial head fracture.
 
 
 
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