Author/Year

Purpose

Setting

Sample

Design and Level of Evidence

Results

Fuentes, E., Kohn, M., Neighbor, M. (2002)

To determine whether non-white patients with long-bone fractures were less likely to receive analgesics than White patients with similar injuries

Urban emergency department

N = 494 Adults aged 18 - 55 with isolated long bone fractures.

Compared African-American, Hispanic, and White patients

Retrospective cohort III

No difference in the administration of analgesics to white and non-white patients with long bone fractures.

Pletcher, M., Kertesz, S., Kohn, M., & Gonzales, R. (2008)

To determine whether opioid prescribing in emergency departments has increased; whether non-Hispanic White patients are more likely to receive an opioid than other racial/ethnic groups; and whether differential prescribing by race/ethnicity has diminished since 2000

Various United States (US) emergency departments

N = 156,729 Utilized NHAMCS to  identify US emergency department visits 1993-2005 with diagnosis of pain Compared White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/other

Descriptive IV

Opioid prescribing increased in the emergency department after national quality improvement initiatives, but differences in opioid prescribing by race/ethnicity have not diminished.

Mills, A. Shofer, F., Boulis, A., Holena, D., & Abbuhl, S. (2011)

To assess whether patient race affects analgesia administration for patients presenting with back or abdominal pain.

2 Urban emergency departments

N = 20,125 Adults presenting with back or abdominal pain for a 4 year period.

Compared non-Whites and Whites

Retrospective cohort III

Nonwhite patients presenting to the emergency department for abdominal or back pain were less likely than whites to receive analgesia and waited longer for their opiate medication.