Intravenous Low-dose Buprenorphine for Acute Pain Management in the Emergency Department: A Case Series

Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2025 Aug;9(3):264-267. doi: 10.5811/cpcem.43494.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Buprenorphine is used for treating opioid use disorder, but its role as an analgesic in the emergency department (ED) is frequently overlooked. Emerging evidence indicates that, at low doses, it can be used safely and advantageously as an alternative to full-agonist opioids for treating acute pain.

CASE SERIES: This case series examines the novel use of intravenous (IV) low-dose buprenorphine for acute pain management in the ED for five patients presenting with diverse past medical history and varied painful indications.

CONCLUSION: Intravenous low-dose buprenorphine may represent an important new tool in our ED armamentarium, and research into its role in emergency pain management is warranted. Further work is needed to determine optimal dosing strategies and identify which patients will be most likely to benefit from IV low-dosebuprenorphine in the ED.

PMID:42456306 | DOI:10.5811/cpcem.43494