Acute postoperative pain control in pediatric patients: a scoping review

Acute postoperative pain results from tissue injury during surgery and subsequent inflammatory responses. The incidence of chronic postsurgical pain ranges from 10% to 30%, and its development is influenced by various clinical factors, including psychological, biological, and social determinants. Optimal management of acute postoperative pain is crucial for enhancing patient satisfaction, preventing adverse outcomes in the immediate postoperative period, and minimizing progression to chronic postoperative pain. In particular, postoperative pain in pediatric patients is often underestimated and inadequately managed because of developmental differences in pain perception, expression, and challenges in assessment. Therefore, age-appropriate and validated assessment tools that consider cognitive development and situational factors are required. Given age-related variability in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, individualized multimodal analgesic strategies with careful dose adjustments should be utilized. These approaches have demonstrated improved analgesic efficacy and enhanced recovery outcomes in pediatric surgical patients. A comprehensive understanding of pediatric pain pathophysiology, combined with appropriate methods of pain assessment and management strategies, should be selected to promote postoperative recovery and reduce morbidity.