Randomized Clinical Trial of an Intravenous Hydromorphone Titration Protocol versus Usual Care for Management of Acute Pain in Older Emergency Department Patients

Background and Objectives Opioid titration is an effective strategy for treating pain; however, titration is generally impractical in the busy emergency department (ED) setting. Our objective was to test a rapid, two-step, hydromorphone titration protocol against usual care in older patients presenting to the ED with acute severe pain.