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Three patients and their drugs: A parallel case paper on paediatric opiate use and withdrawal
Harold B Siden1, Kathleen Collin
1Department of Pediatrics, Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia, University of British Columbia, and Canuck Place Children's Hospice.
Insights
Managing pediatric pain with opioids requires careful consideration. This article presents three distinct pediatric cases to guide clinicians on initiating and discontinuing opioid therapy using a flexible, patient-centered approach.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pharmacology and pain management.
- Clinical case studies in medicine.
Background:
- Opioid therapy is essential for various pediatric conditions, yet challenging to initiate and discontinue.
- Clinicians face difficulties in managing opioid use in children.
Observation:
- Presents three parallel pediatric cases: an infant with neonatal abstinence syndrome, and two adolescents with chronic headache and cystic fibrosis.
- Highlights the unique aspects of each case to inform clinical decision-making.
Findings:
- Opioid management in pediatrics necessitates individualized strategies rather than rigid protocols.
- Successful opioid discontinuation is achievable with a tailored, patient-centered approach.
Implications:
- Provides practical insights for clinicians managing pediatric patients on opioid therapy.
- Emphasizes the importance of flexible, individualized care plans for opioid management in children.
Abstract:
Clinicians are increasingly aware of the important role that opioids play in the management of a variety of paediatric conditions. Frequently, clinicians encounter challenges in initiating opioid therapy and, then, in weaning paediatric patients off opioids. In the present article, three different cases (an infant and two adolescents) are used to illustrate why and how opiates may be used in paediatrics and how they can be discontinued. The presentations include neonatal abstinence syndrome, chronic headache and cystic fibrosis. The cases are meant to emphasize the distinctions rather than the similarities among the cases, which is why this is called a case parallel, rather than a case series. The article downplays the use of rigid rules in managing patients on opioids, and emphasizes a flexible and patient-centred approach.
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