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Pediatric pain management

Santhanam Suresh1, Patrick K Birmingham, Ryan J Kozlowski

  • 1Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. ssuresh@childrensmemorial.org

Anesthesiology Clinics
|March 13, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Regional anesthesia is increasingly used for pediatric pain management. Expert opinion and data suggest it is safe for children, even when asleep, with no reported neural damage.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Anesthesiology
  • Pain Management
  • Regional Anesthesia Techniques

Background:

  • Regional anesthesia is standard for adults but less common in children.
  • Pediatric use is growing due to potential benefits in pain control.
  • General anesthesia is often required for pediatric procedures, posing challenges for regional techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the safe and comprehensive application of regional anesthesia for acute pain management in pediatric patients.
  • To discuss the growing evidence and expert consensus supporting regional anesthesia in children.
  • To provide an approach for utilizing regional anesthesia in infants, children, and adolescents.

Main Methods:

  • Review of prospective databases and expert opinions.
  • Analysis of safety data regarding neural damage in pediatric patients.
  • Synthesis of current literature on pediatric regional anesthesia for acute pain.

Main Results:

  • Growing popularity and acceptance of regional anesthesia in pediatric patients.
  • Lack of reported major neural damage in children receiving regional anesthesia.
  • Expert opinion favors the safe administration of regional anesthesia in asleep children.

Conclusions:

  • Regional anesthesia is a viable and safe option for pediatric acute pain management.
  • Evidence suggests regional anesthesia can be effectively administered to sleeping children.
  • A comprehensive approach is recommended for implementing regional anesthesia in pediatric populations.

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