Authors: Ahmed Zaki Mustafa , Dania amer , Mustafa Ahmad Alnamas , Aleena Babu , Meloveem Llanto Santiago ,

Abstract

Background: Pain is one of the most common presenting symptoms at the emergency department (ED). Timely and effective analgesia is a key indicator of emergency medical care efficiency. Despite the significant improvement in pain management over time, insufficient pain control still occurs in various emergency care settings.
Objective: Development and implementation of a standardized ED pain management strategy based on the pain assessment, intervention, and reassessment (AIR) cycle to improve timely analgesia and enhance the consistency and reliability of pain relief delivery.
Methods: A prospective, single-center, quality-improvement study was conducted over 8 months from January to August 2025. Data from all eligible patients were collected, including baseline characteristics, pain intensity, triage category, and mean medication administration time (MAT).
Results: The mean MAT was reduced from 25 minutes in January to 8 minutes in August, with 100% compliance across all aspects of the AIR cycle.
Conclusion: This study highlights the significant value of a standardized emergency room pain management clinical algorithm in enhancing pain management practices and improving the quality of clinical care within EDs.

Keywords: Pain AIR, assessment, intervention, reassessment, pain clinical pathway, emergency department.