Postoperative analgesia in children - a comprehensive assessment and management

Abstract

Introduction. Pain is the most common cause of complaints in hospitalized pediatric patients. Pain continues to be underestimated and undertreated in childhood. The European Society of Pediatric Anesthetists has published guidelines for pain management in children. Pain assessment. Pain assessment is very important in the treatment of pain in children. Basic pain management. Administration of basic analgesics is crucial for pain management. Paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Generally, basic or simple analgesia includes the use of paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Systemic opioids. Opioids are reserved for early postoperative and intraoperative use when adequate monitoring and specially trained personnel are available around the clock. Regional anesthesia and local anesthetics. Regional anesthesia in children has been increasingly used in recent decades, particularly against the background of multimodal analgesia. Conclusion. Basic analgesics are crucial, and opioids are added only when needed. Regional anesthesia and local anesthetics play a superior role in pain management compared to systemic analgesics in such cases in pediatric patients.