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[Oral morphine administration for children's traumatic pain]
C Wille1, N Bocquet, B Cojocaru
1Département des urgences pédiatriques, hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, assistance publique-hôpitaux de Paris,149, rue de Sèvres, 75743 Paris cedex 15, France.
Summary
Oral morphine is a safe and effective pain management option for children in the pediatric emergency department (ED). This study found it simple to administer with few adverse events, providing significant pain relief within 30-60 minutes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Pain Management
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Traumatic injuries are common in children presenting to the emergency department (ED).
- Effective pain management is crucial for pediatric patients experiencing trauma.
- Oral morphine is a potential analgesic option for moderate to severe pain in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the adherence to prescription guidelines for oral morphine in pediatric ED.
- To assess the efficacy of oral morphine in managing traumatic pain in children.
- To identify and document adverse events associated with oral morphine use in this population.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study was conducted in a pediatric ED from October 2002 to September 2003.
- Children aged 6 months to 16 years with severe traumatic pain received oral morphine (0.5 mg/kg).
- Pain was assessed using validated scales (Faces, Objective Pain Scale, Visual Analogic Scale) at regular intervals.
Main Results:
- Seventy percent of oral morphine prescriptions followed recommended guidelines.
- Significant pain reduction was observed within 30 minutes for younger children (under 5 years).
- For older children (over 5 years), pain reduction was more rapid when assessed by nurses compared to self-reporting in the initial hour.
Conclusions:
- Oral morphine administration in the pediatric ED is straightforward and associated with a low incidence of adverse events.
- No severe adverse events were reported during the study.
- Oral morphine demonstrates effective pain relief within 30 to 60 minutes post-administration.