title: Does analgesia mask diagnosis of appendicitis among children?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Can analgesia be given safely to patients with suspected appendicitis prior to surgical evaluation without masking physical signs and symptoms?
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Withholding analgesia from patients with acute abdominal pain and suspected appendicitis is common. This practice, however, is not supported by published literature. Although a few trials have noted some changes in abdominal examination with analgesia, this has not been associated with any changes in patient outcome. If patients are in pain, analgesia is warranted. Larger multicentre trials are needed to establish practice guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Research in Emergency Therapeutics (PRETx) program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.
authors.forename: Rudy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bromberg
authors.forename: Ran D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000698:Analgesia / Q000009:adverse effects; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid