Current Trends and New Strategies in Acute Postoperative Pain Management in Children

Abstract

Acute postoperative pain in children is common. Nearly 40 percent of pediatric patients suffer from moderate to severe pain after surgery. Inadequate pain prevention and treatment has been associated with short and long-term consequences. Different treatment modalities have evolved lately, and multimodal analgesia has become the treatment of choice not only involving a pharmacological approach but also non-pharmacological approaches (eg, regional analgesia, rehabilitation, cognitive behavioral therapy, virtual reality). The aim of this article is to show current trends and strategies in the management of acute postoperative pain in children and how an inadequate treatment of it can lead to the development of chronic postsurgical pain.