#pain control deferred due to homelessness of patient

[tramontane-fire]

If you're allergic to NSAIDs/Toradol (especially Toradol), the medic will think you're drug-seeking and you won't get pain control.

If you have called the ambulance before in the last month or so, the medic will think you're malingering and you won't get pain control.

If you're yelling and screaming and writhing around in pain, the medic will be annoyed and you won't get pain control.

If you are stoic, the medic will think you're not in that much pain and you won't get pain control.

If you ask for pain meds, then the medic will see this as proof positive that you are drug-seeking, and you won't get any pain control.

If you don't ask for pain meds, the medic will assume you don't need any, which is good because starting lines and pulling drugs and documenting med administration is hard, and the hospital will probably give you something anyway (maybe, after a long delay), and you won't get any pain control.

If your pain is chronic and flaring up, the medic will think (wrongly) that the pain control protocol only covers acute pain and you won't get pain control.

If you are being picked up at a jail or a prison, forget it (and lord help you if you have a serious illness in general).

If you're street homeless, forget it.

If you have a history of substance use, you're screwed.

Well gee, Kit, you say, then who the heck does get pain control in the ambulance?

Really gnarly trauma patients. Large burns, visibly broken bones, people who resemble raw hamburger meat.

But in general, no one else reliably gets pain control.

It is terrible. We are terrible about treating pain prehospital (and in hospitals).

If it's happened to you, I'm sorry, and it's not your fault.