[Postoperative pain therapy in pediatrics. Results of a representative survey in Germany]

The last survey addressing postoperative pain management in Germany was published in 1987, special data concerning postoperative pain management in pediatric patients had not been presented previously. The goal of this survey is to present the standard of postoperative pain management in pediatric patients in Germany. A detailed questionnaire was mailed to all German anaesthesia departments and interdisciplinary intensive care units (n = 1,500) to determine the current management of postoperative pain management in pediatric patients. After eight weeks, 42.6% of the survey had been returned. Rectally administered acetaminophen is the standard drug regimen for postoperative analgesia in children. Compared to previous surveys, the use of opioids has increased in popularity. The routine use of non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and spasmolytics as well as the application of regional anaesthesia techniques is uncommon in pediatric postoperative pain management. Compared to other European countries, patient- or parent-controlled analgesia is more popular in Germany. Despite modern concepts of organization and a great variety of drugs available today, 71.1% of the responding anesthesiologists in this survey still believe that pediatric postoperative pain management needs to be improved.