Implementation of a standardized pain management in a pediatric surgery unit.
Postoperative pain is still a major complication causing discomfort and significant suffering, especially for children. Therefore, every effort should be made to prevent pain and treat it effectively once it arises. Under-treatment of pediatric pain is often due to a lack of both knowledge about age-specific aspects of physiology and pharmacology and routine pain assessment. Factors for long term success require regularly assessing pain, as routinely as the other vital signs together with documentation of side effects. The fear of side effects mostly prevents the adequate usage of analgesics. Essential is selecting and establishing a simple concept for clinical routine involving a combination of non-pharmacological treatment strategies, non-opioid drugs, opioids and regional anesthesia.
Messerer
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Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. Brigitte.messerer@medunigraz.at
Gutmann
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Weinberg
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Sandner-Kiesling
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A
D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D004282:Documentation; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010290:Parents; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D059035:Perioperative Period; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000188:drug therapy; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000700:Analgesics; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000932:Antiemetics; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013395:Sucrose; D005947:Glucose