title: Randomized controlled trial on preemptive analgesia for acute postoperative pain management in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preemptive analgesia is an anti-nociceptive treatment that starts before surgery and prevents the establishment of central sensitization. Whether preemptive analgesia is more effective than conventional regimens for managing postoperative pain remains controversial. This study evaluated the efficacy of intravenous preemptive analgesia for acute postoperative pain control in pediatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 51 children aged 3-7 years, scheduled for corrective osteotomy were randomized into control (group C) or preemptive (group P) group. Both groups received standardized general anesthesia, including intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) with fentanyl, which was started before skin incision in group P or 5 min thereafter in group C. IV-PCA data, pain scores using verbal rating scale (VRS) and Wong-Baker FACES(®) pain rating scale (WBFS), emergence agitation score (EAS) using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale, analgesic requirements, and complications were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary outcome, pain score at postoperative 1 h, showed no difference between the groups. Both groups did not demonstrate emergence agitation (PAED cutoff value ≥ 12), although the EAS at admission to the postanesthetic care unit (PACU) was lower in group P than in group C (P = 0.002; mean difference 4.85, 95% CI 1.97-7.73). There were no differences in the delivered volume of IV-PCA, frequency of pushing the IV-PCA button, effective push attempts, VRS, WBFS, EAS at discharge from the PACU, additional analgesic requirements, and complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preemptive analgesia using IV-PCA with fentanyl showed no significant advantages for postoperative analgesia after corrective osteotomy in pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: In-Kyung
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Tae
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: In Ho
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D059787:Acute Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003693:Delirium / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010027:Osteotomy; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D005283:Fentanyl
keywords: acute pain; children; patient-controlled analgesia; pediatrics; postoperative pain