Assessing/Managing Pediatric Pain

Pediatric pain assessment and management are frequently underestimated and undertreated. Therefore, those practitioners working in the emergency sector should be ready with strategies. An article in the Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open provides suggestions for pain and anxiety management: from the use of a pacifier, to rocking, to swaddling the youngest patients, to having areas only for kids to make them more comfortable with their surroundings. Also encouraged are cold compresses or massagers or local skin anesthetics to lessen pain. The article addresses neonates, children with intellectual disabilities, and those with chronic pain.

The study states that by simply taking a moment to understand and evaluate a patient’s age and stage of development, anxiety and pain can be reduced. In addition to potentially engaging nonpharmacological and nonopioid pain management options, “clinicians should be careful to consider the underlying reason for the ED presentation. A patient with a traumatic injury is likely to be in pain and careful evaluation of vital signs, crying, or facial grimace can be helpful to direct escalation of pain management with careful reassessment to evaluate appropriate pain management versus evolving medical or surgical process. Appropriate recognition of pediatric pain and escalation of pain management, including opioids, should be used when appropriate.”

 

Read the journal article.

Other Categories:

• Analgesics

• chronic pain

• emergency department

• opioids

• pain management

• patient centered care

• pediatric pain management

• pediatrics

• topical pain management