Continuing Professional Development: Pain management in children in the pre-hospital environment

Overview Pain management is complex in children; age, developmental level, and both cognitive and communication skills, as well as associated beliefs must be considered. Pain can have psychological, physical and social consequences, all of which impact quality of life. Without effective pain treatment, there are risks of long-term changes in stress hormone responses, pain perception and post-traumatic stress disorder. The current article helps to shed light on a number of difficulties faced when managing pain in children, and how to overcome them.