Analgesia for Children in Acute Pain in the Post-codeine Era

Naveen Poonai1,2, Rongbu Zhu3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Insights

Concerns regarding codeine safety have increased the use of other opioids for pediatric acute pain. This review examines evidence for effective pain management in children, focusing on alternatives to codeine.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Pain Management
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Acute pain is a frequent emergency department complaint in children.
  • Safety concerns surrounding codeine have prompted a shift towards other opioids.
  • Opioid use in pediatric patients is increasing, yet clinicians show reluctance in prescribing them compared to adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence and effectiveness of analgesia for children with acute pain.
  • To address the priority of adequate pain relief in pediatric care.
  • To explore pain management strategies in the post-codeine era.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing evidence on pediatric analgesia.
  • Focus on therapies including oral morphine, topical analgesia, and intranasal fentanyl.
  • Analysis of studies evaluating opioid effectiveness in children.

Main Results:

  • Evidence is mounting for alternative opioid therapies in pediatric pain management.
  • Oral morphine, topical analgesia, and intranasal fentanyl show promise.
  • The review synthesizes current data on these analgesic options.

Conclusions:

  • Effective analgesia for acute pediatric pain is a priority.
  • Alternative opioids offer viable options in the post-codeine era.
  • This review provides a comprehensive overview of current evidence for pediatric pain management.
Abstract

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