(HAARETZ) — Night has fallen. Sadly, you are doubled up with pain. You want to go to the hospital for help.
Your timing might be unfortunate, going by a new study published Monday in PNAS by Israeli and American researchers that found emergency-room doctors are significantly less likely to prescribe painkillers during night shifts.
Pain is difficult to quantify objectively. How many times has a caregiver asked, “How much does this hurt on a scale of one to 10?” How do you know? What are you supposed to say? Giving birth hurt more than the falling tree crushing your foot, so say that’s nine versus six, reserving 10 for the pains of hell? Who knows?
