Health

How are cognitive therapies used to treat pain in pediatric clinical practice? Cognitive therapies are an important component of multimodal pain treatment plans when directed at a child’s beliefs, expectations, and coping abilities. Cognitive therapies include approaches from basic developmentally appropriate education to more formal psychotherapy. A basic cognitive intervention is providing children with age-appropriate …

How are cognitive therapies used to treat pain in children Read More »

Is marijuana safe to use to treat childrens pain? No. Cannabis use alters neurodevelopment, with most alterations documented in the frontal lobe. Adolescent initiation of cannabis use has long been known as a significant risk factor for subsequent addiction. With increased legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational use, the number of marijuana poisonings has …

Is marijuana safe to use to treat childrens pain Read More »

How do parents know which pain complementary and alternative therapies are safe for children? Complementary and alternative medications (CAM) and therapies (CAT) are popular and generally considered safe. Despite little evidence of effectiveness, prevalence rates for overall CAM use in children ranges from 10% to almost 90% for lifetime use and slightly less at 8% …

Which pain alternative therapies are safe for children Read More »

How do parents know which pain medications (prescription and over the counter) are safe and effective for children? Parents should be advised that most pain medications have not been specifically evaluated and approved for use in children. Unfortunately sharing of prescription analgesics and diversion of opioids has increased to the point of being considered a …

Which pain medications are safe for children Read More »

Can regional techniques be used for children? Regional techniques for the administration of local anesthetics and other analgesics are an integral part of postoperative pain management. For example, a one-shot caudal may prevent the need for outpatient analgesics after hernia repair, local anesthetic catheters may prevent the need for epidural analgesia and facilitate transition home …

Can regional techniques be used for children Read More »

Can patient controlled analgesia be used by children? Yes. PCA allows children to administer small intermittent doses of analgesics when needed. PCA is prompt, economical, adjusts for variability in children’s analgesic needs, and removes the barrier of assessment judgment and bias. Research indicates children use less opioids when delivered with a PCA device than when …

Patient controlled analgesia for children Read More »

Are there special dosing considerations for neonates and infants? Yes. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics among neonates, preterm infants, and full term infants require special attention until 6 to 12 months of age. In general, analgesics are recommended for a shorter course of therapy. Dosing interval (time between doses) may be shorter or longer depending on …

Special dosing considerations for neonates and infants Read More »