Pediatric uses of opioids

Abstract

It is evident that opioids are underused in infants and children, mainly owing to the erroneous belief that long-term adverse effects may result from effective use, coupled with the difficulties infants and children have in verbalizing their feelings of pain. Sufficient data exist to date on the safe use of opioids in the pediatric age group to allow pediatricians to incorporate them in a variety of protocols. Moreover, unlike most drugs in clinical use, opioids have a specific, safe antidote that can reverse their toxic effects promptly and effectively.