title: Management of postoperative pain in children undergoing orthopaedic surgery.
abstract: The aim of this study was to document how postoperative pain in children is managed routinely at a ward for orthopaedic surgery and to evaluate whether the treatment used is adequate. Children aged 6 to 14 years undergoing elective osteotomy at lower extremities were eligible. Information describing analgesic use preoperatively, perioperatively, and postoperatively for the first 3 days was collected. A direct self-reporting method was used to assess the children's experience of pain. Twenty-three children participated in the study. All children received analgesic treatment consisting of a central- and a peripheral-acting drug. As-needed administration was most common, and administered doses were often below the recommended doses. Of the children, 70% reported the experience of at least one episode of pain, and 26% experienced the worst pain they could imagine. It is still necessary to improve the care and efforts put into pain management.
authors.affiliation: State University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kart
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wested
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010027:Osteotomy; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics