Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010:2010:474838.
doi: 10.1155/2010/474838. Epub 2010 Jul 25.

Pain in children: assessment and nonpharmacological management

Rasha Srouji  1 , Savithiri Ratnapalan, Suzan Schneeweiss
Affiliations

Pain in children: assessment and nonpharmacological management

Rasha Srouji et al. Int J Pediatr. 2010.

Abstract

Pain perception in children is complex, and is often difficult to assess. In addition, pain management in children is not always optimized in various healthcare settings, including emergency departments. A review of pain assessment scales that can be used in children across all ages, and a discussion of the importance of pain in control and distraction techniques during painful procedures are presented. Age specific nonpharmacological interventions used to manage pain in children are most effective when adapted to the developmental level of the child. Distraction techniques are often provided by nurses, parents or child life specialists and help in pain alleviation during procedures.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Morton NS. Pain assessment in children. Paediatric Anaesthesia. 1997;7(4):267–272. - PubMed
    1. McGrath PJ, Frager G. Psychological barriers to optimal pain management in infants and children. The Clinical Journal of Pain. 1996;12(2):135–141. - PubMed
    1. Hagan JF, Jr., Coleman WL, Foy JM, et al. The assessment and management of acute pain in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2001;108(3):793–797. - PubMed
    1. Abu-Saad HH, Hamers JPH. Decision-making and paediatric pain: a review. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 1997;26(5):946–952. - PubMed
    1. McGrath PJ, Unruh AM. Measurement and assessment of paediatric pain. In: Wall PD, Melzack R, editors. Textbook of Pain. 4th edition. New York, NY, USA: Churchill Livingstone; 1999. pp. 371–384.

LinkOut - more resources