Vol. 3 No. 10 (2023)
Health Technology Reviews

IV Acetaminophen for Acute Pain in Emergency Departments

Published October 6, 2023

Key Messages

  • For adults with moderate to severe pain in the emergency department (ED), IV acetaminophen may offer similar levels of pain relief and a similar risk of adverse events as oral acetaminophen or IV nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
  • For adults with moderate to severe pain in the ED, IV acetaminophen may offer a similar or modestly lower level of pain relief, and a lower risk of adverse events, when compared to IV opioids.
  • We did not find any studies on the cost-effectiveness of IV acetaminophen compared to oral acetaminophen, IV NSAIDs, or IV opioids for treating patients with moderate to severe pain in the ED that met our inclusion criteria.
  • One guideline recommends IV NSAIDs for the initial management of moderate to severe pain for patients in the ED. IV acetaminophen is recommended instead of IV opioids alone.