Control of pain and stress for children is a
complex yet vital component of emergency medical care. Although there are
numerous barriers to pain control for children in the emergency department (ED)
and out-of-hospital emergency care settings, including difficulty in assessing
pain in young patients, unfamiliarity with new products and techniques, fear of
the adverse effects of medication, and staffing limitations and time
constraints, many physicians have begun to apply novel and consistent approaches
to reducing children’s pain in the emergency setting. The AAP clinical report,
“Relief of Pain and Anxiety in Pediatric Patients in Emergency Medical Systems (EMS),” published in the November 2012 issue of Pediatrics (published online
Oct. 29), provides evidence-based system-level and provider-level guidance for
pain management and anxiolysis (the administration of anti-anxiety medication)
in the acute care setting. The clinical report includes staff education tips
and protocols to ensure child comfort and improve staff and family satisfaction.
It describes how children’s pain can be accurately assessed using age-
appropriate instruments that account for the wide range of children’s
developmental stages. The report also recommends that physicians begin to
address pain and anxiety as soon as a child comes in contact with the emergency
medical system (EMS), and that this care continues through discharge of the
child from the ED. Physicians and EMS providers should be aware of all
available analgesic and sedation options for
children.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary
care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical
specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants,
children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.
