Pain management in the pediatric intensive care unit

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Updated: Nov 1, 2026

Objective Nociceptive Assessment in Ventilated ICU Patients: A Feasibility Study Using Pupillometry and the Nociceptive Flexion Reflex
06:04

Objective Nociceptive Assessment in Ventilated ICU Patients: A Feasibility Study Using Pupillometry and the Nociceptive Flexion Reflex

Published on: July 4, 2018

C R Chambliss1, K J Anand

  • 1Division of Critical Care Medicine, Egleston Children's Hospital, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

Current Opinion in Pediatrics
|June 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Critically ill children often suffer from inadequate pain relief. This review highlights effective analgesia and sedation strategies for pediatric intensive care, aiming to improve patient comfort and outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Pain management in children
  • Intensive care unit (ICU) therapies

Background:

  • Critically ill pediatric patients experience significant acute, established, and chronic pain.
  • Inadequate pain management is common despite available analgesic options.
  • Pain impacts patient comfort, homeostasis, and tolerance of ICU interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review reasons for inadequate analgesia and sedation in pediatric intensive care.
  • To describe drug classes, regional/topical anesthesia techniques, and adjuvant agents for pediatric pain.
  • To emphasize the importance of early and adequate analgesic interventions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of established drugs, techniques, and novel approaches for pediatric analgesia and sedation.
  • Focus on interventions with a proven safety and efficacy record in pediatric patients.
  • Exclusion of analgesic approaches lacking established pediatric safety and efficacy.

Main Results:

  • Identifies common causes of insufficient pain relief in pediatric ICUs.
  • Details pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods for pediatric pain management.
  • Highlights the benefits of regional and topical anesthesia, and adjuvant analgesics.

Conclusions:

  • Adequate and early analgesia and sedation are crucial for critically ill children.
  • Effective pain management can minimize discomfort and improve metabolic homeostasis.
  • Even the sickest pediatric patients can receive adequate pain relief through reviewed methods.

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