Related Experiment Videos

Patient-reported outcomes in pediatric regional anesthesia trials: current use and limitations

Renee Ren1,2, Helen S Jung2,3, Michelle Carley4,5

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology
|August 7, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in pediatric anesthesia research are inconsistently used, often relying on basic pain scales. Improved, standardized PROMs are needed for better recovery assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Anesthesia
  • Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

  • Patient-centered outcomes are increasingly emphasized in pediatric research.
  • Current assessment frameworks may not fully capture pain and daily living interference in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the use and limitations of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in pediatric regional anesthesia.
  • To identify gaps in current outcome assessment for pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of randomized controlled trials and ongoing studies in pediatric regional anesthesia.
  • Analysis of the types and variability of PROMs utilized in identified research.

Main Results:

  • PROM use in pediatric regional anesthesia research is highly variable.
  • Consistent reliance on observational pain scales (e.g., FLACC) with limited use of standardized quality-of-life measures.
  • 17 randomized controlled trials and 15 ongoing studies were analyzed.

Conclusions:

  • Existing pediatric PROM frameworks are fragmented, hindering comprehensive recovery evaluation.
  • There is a need for greater standardization and incorporation of developmentally appropriate, longitudinal outcome measures.
  • Improved PROMs are essential for aligning research with patient-centered endpoints and assessing functional/psychosocial recovery.
Abstract

Keywords:
health-related quality-of-life measurespatient-centered outcomespediatric patient-reported outcome measurespostoperative painregional anesthesia

Related Concept Videos

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia01:29

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Surface, Infiltration, and Conduction Block Anesthesia01:30

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Surface, Infiltration, and Conduction Block Anesthesia

Depending on the target organ, local anesthetics (LAs) can be administered via various routes. In surface anesthesia, LAs are applied directly to the surface of the skin or mucous membranes. It is widely used for topical skin numbing before venipuncture or minor surgical procedures. Commonly used surface local anesthetics are lidocaine or benzocaine sprays or creams. Surface anesthesia occurs within 5 minutes and lasts for about 60 minutes. One of the main disadvantages of topical anesthesia is...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia01:11

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia

Spinal anesthetics are given during lower abdomen and limb surgeries to block sensory and motor neurons. They are administered in the mid to low lumbar regions, primarily acting on the cauda equina's nerve roots. The blockade level depends on the local anesthetic (LA) concentration. Usually, low LA concentrations are sufficient to block sensory fibers, while only high LA concentrations block motor fibers. Other factors like injection volume and speed, the patient's posture, and the drug...
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
General Anesthesia: Overview01:24

General Anesthesia: Overview

Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
Local Anesthetics: Pharmacokinetics01:13

Local Anesthetics: Pharmacokinetics

The potency and duration of action of local anesthetics (LAs) are determined by their pharmacokinetics. Pharmacokinetics describes how LAs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated from the body. When administered to the vascular tissues, LAs are quickly absorbed and enter the systemic circulation, reducing their localized effects. Adding vasoconstrictors such as epinephrine to LAs reduces their absorption into the systemic circulation, making them clinically effective. The...