Responsible and Safe Use of Opioids in Children and Adolescents in the Emergency Department (Pain Management CME, Controlled Substances CME, Pharmacology CME, and Addiction Disorders CME)

Points & Pearls Excerpt

• Assess pain globally, using a developmentally appropriate pain scale. Ask the family about the impact of the injury on the child’s functioning. (See Table 1.) This allows for a better picture of the extent of the pain and can inform the pain management plan.
• Treat pain in a multimodal fashion. Combine physical, psychological, and pharmacological interventions to create the best pain-relief plan. Parents/caregivers and child life specialist involvement form an important part of this planning.
• Based on efficacy and adverse effect profile, ibuprofen is the first-line oral agent in treatment, particularly for acute musculoskeletal injuries.^8,9,61