Research Symposium 2024 was hosted on the 18th and 19th of July, at Australian Catholic University, Brisbane campus. This symposium’s theme, “Influence and Inspire: Advancing the Paramedicine Research Agenda for Australasia,” reflects our commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in paramedic research. The goal of this symposium was to highlight the crucial role of paramedic research in shaping and advancing emergency care.

To watch more recordings from the symposium, click here. Please note that we experienced some audio issues while recording this event. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause while watching the recordings

The influence of patient sex on paramedic administration of analgesia for acute abdominal pain in an Australian ambulance service

This research aimed to determine the influence of patients’ sex on paramedic administration of analgesia in cases of acute abdominal pain. A retrospective analytical cohort study including patients aged 16 to 65 with a complaint of abdominal pain who were seen by paramedics employed by an Australian jurisdictional ambulance service between July 2019 to June 2020 was undertaken. The research demonstrated that equity in pain management in relation to overall analgesic administration between the sexes existed. However, it was noted that females had lower odds of being administered an opioid than their male counterparts, therefore disparities in analgesia type existed between the sexes.

Biography: Sooaad Dahoud

Sooaad Dahoud is a registered paramedic working with NSW Ambulance, based out of metropolitan Sydney. Alongside being a full-time paramedic, she is also a sessional paramedicine academic at Western Sydney University. Sooaad was recently awarded a Master of Research, whereby her research investigated sex-specific disparities in paramedic-initiated analgesic administration for individuals with acute abdominal pain presenting to an Australian jurisdictional ambulance service. Sooaad’s broader research interests traverse equity in paramedicine practice across diverse populations, where she aims to further develop her academic expertise.

Session moderator: Dr Ben Meadley, ASM, PhD, FACPara, Adjunct Associate Professor, Monash University and Intensive Care Flight Paramedic (Ambulance Victoria)