The 2002 Lindberg Award. PRN vs regularly scheduled opioid analgesics in pediatric burn patients.
Very little has been published on treating acute pain in children younger than the age of 3 for burns or any other trauma etiology. This study prospectively monitored the pain behavior and opioid analgesic intake of 31 pediatric burn patients (mean age = 23.71 months; SD = 15.75). Twelve of those children were randomized to conditions in which they either received opioid analgesics pro re nata (ie, as needed, pain contingent) or on a regular basis. The two groups did not show differences in demonstrable pain but, interestingly, they received equivalent does of opioid analgesics. As such, the pro re nata group was likely medicated largely on a regularly scheduled basis. For most of the remaining (nonrandomized) subjects, physicians ordered regularly scheduled opioid analgesics, suggesting that this practice has become largely institutionalized in the study setting. Information on pediatric opioid analgesic dosing and pain measurement strategies for nonverbal subjects can be derived from the findings.
Patterson
D R
DR
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Ptacek
J T
JT
Carrougher
G
G
Heimbach
D M
DM
Sharar
S R
SR
Honari
S
S
D000208:Acute Disease; D000367:Age Factors; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid