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Published on: July 4, 2018

Managing pain in critically ill children

M Gandhi1, S D Playfor

  • 1Department of Pediatric Anesthesia Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, UK.

Minerva Pediatrica
|May 5, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Pain in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is common and undertreated, potentially causing long-term sensory issues. Effective pain management requires regular assessment and multimodal analgesia strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Intensive Care
  • Pain Management
  • Child Health

Background:

  • Pain is a frequent and often undertreated experience for children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
  • Untreated pain can lead to immediate adverse effects and has been linked to long-term consequences on sensory processing and pain response later in life.
  • The long-term effects of early analgesic administration in critically ill children require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To emphasize the importance of effective pain management in critically ill children.
  • To highlight the potential long-term consequences of early life pain experiences.
  • To underscore the need for adherence to clinical guidelines for pediatric analgesia.

Main Methods:

  • Regular pain assessment using validated tools.
  • Establishment and regular review of therapeutic pain management plans.
  • Application of multimodal analgesia, incorporating pharmacological and non-pharmacological techniques.

Main Results:

  • Pain is a common and historically undertreated issue in the PICU.
  • Early life pain experiences can significantly impact later-life sensory processing and pain responses.
  • Clinical guidelines advocate for systematic pain assessment and management.

Conclusions:

  • Effective pain management is crucial for critically ill children.
  • Multimodal and pre-emptive analgesia are recommended for optimal pain control.
  • Addressing pain in the PICU is essential to mitigate immediate and potential long-term adverse effects.

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