[Analgesia and sedation in emergency situations and in the pediatric intensive care unit].
OBJECTIVE
To review the current strategies for use of sedatives and analgesics in emergency rooms and intensive care units.


METHODS
Original data from our emergency rooms and intensive care units; Medline literature review focused on sedatives and analgesic drugs; textbooks.


RESULTS
Despite the advances in understanding pain in children, in many critical care units the misguided treatment of pain and anxiety still results in significant morbidity. Difficulties in communication, invasive procedures and the belief that children do not have sufficient neurologic development to process noxious sensations are still a challenge in intensive care units.


CONCLUSIONS
The last decade was marked by significant advances in understanding pediatric pain. Treating intensive care unit-related pain and anxiety has clear benefits which may influence the course of disease.
Lago
Patrícia M
PM
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Piva
Jefferson Pedro
JP
Garcia
Pedro Celiny Ramos
PC
Sfoggia
Ana
A
Knight
Geoff
G
Ramelet
Anne-Sylvie
AS
Duncan
Alan
A
D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D003422:Critical Care; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000700:Analgesics; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives