Pain is considered chronic when it is constant or recurrent and lasts for more than 3 months. It may persist because of ongoing tissue inflammation, as seen in children with inflammatory bowel disease or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It may also…
“Acute pain” in the pediatric setting is generally nociceptive pain arising from tissue injury, inflammation, or infection. It is typically most pronounced immediately after the insult and gradually improves as the tissues repair. This type of pain usually responds to…
Local anesthetics are synthetic derivatives of cocaine, a plant alkaloid obtained from the leaves of the South American coca plant, and the first local anesthetic to be discovered. Cocaine is a benzoic acid derivative coupled to a tertiary amine compound…
The next several chapters are dedicated to teaching trainees about pediatric pain and the various options for pain management in children. In this first of five chapters, we introduce the topic of pediatric pain assessment. Because expression of pain is…