Pediatric pain

Abstract

While pain management in children is often similar to pain management in adults, there are important differences. This chapter focuses on the differences in assessing and treating acute and chronic pain in children versus adults. Assessment of pain needs to be developmentally appropriate and diagnostic considerations are different in children. Commonly used pain assessment scales are discussed. Children recover more quickly from injuries and surgeries than adults, so their need for pain treatments is shorter in duration. Nonpharmacologic treatments in both acute and chronic pain are important in children. Most medications used in adult acute and chronic pain are also used in children though they must be dosed based on weight. As in adults, children can develop chronic pain syndromes including chronic regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, and chronic daily headaches. When children with chronic pain syndromes are functionally disabled by the pain, they are best treated with an intensive biopsychosocial treatment program. Concepts of this type of program are discussed.