Pain prevalence, intensity, assessment and management in a hospitalized pediatric population.

New research, regulatory guidelines, and practice initiatives have improved pain management in infants, children, and adolescents, but obstacles remain. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and demographics of pain, as well as pain management practice patterns in hospitalized children in a tertiary-care university hospital. We prospectively collected data including patient demographics, presence/absence and location of pain, pain intensity, pain assessment documentation, analgesic use, side effects of analgesic therapy, and patient/family satisfaction. Two hundred male (58%) and female, medical and surgical (61%) patients, averaging 9 ± 6.2 years were studied. Pain was common (86%) and often moderate to severe (40%). Surgical patients reported pain more frequently when enrolled than did medical patients (99% vs. 65%). Female gender, age ≥ 5 years, and Caucasian race were all associated with higher mean pain scores. Furthermore, females and Caucasian children consumed more opioids than males and non-Caucasians. Identified obstacles to optimal analgesic management include lack of documented physician pain assessment (<5%), a high prevalence of "as needed" analgesic dosing, frequent opioid-induced side effects (44% nausea and vomiting, 27% pruritus), and patient/family dissatisfaction with pain management (2%-7%). The data demonstrated that despite a concentrated focus on improving pain management over the past decade, pain remains common in hospitalized children. Identification of patient populations and characteristics that predispose to increased pain (e.g., female, Caucasian, postoperative patient) as well as obstacles to analgesic management provide a focus for the development of targeted interventions and research to further improve care.

The acute pain service nurse practitioner: a case study in the postoperative care of the child with bladder exstrophy.

Effective pain management for children requires leadership and effective interdisciplinary collaboration. At the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, a pediatric nurse practitioner-based, anesthesiologist supervised acute pain service model strives to improve the quality of pain management within the institution. A case study describing pain and sedation management of the child following bladder exstrophy repair demonstrates the integral role of the nurse practitioner in the promotion of quality outcomes for this complex patient population.

Perioperative anesthetic and analgesic management of newborn bladder exstrophy repair.

OBJECTIVE: Reconstruction of bladder exstrophy in newborn infants requires immobilization, sedation and pain management to prevent distracting forces from compromising the repair. We present a 6-year review of our experience. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the perioperative management of newborn infants undergoing reconstruction between November 1999 and October 2006. Data are presented as means+/-SD. RESULTS: Twenty-three newborn infants underwent surgery under a combined epidural and general anesthetic technique. Tunneled caudal epidural catheters were inserted in all patients and intermittently injected with 0.25% bupivacaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine. Postoperatively, a continuous infusion of 0.1% lidocaine, 0.8-1mg/kg/h was administered for 15+/-8 (range 4-30) days. Children were sedated with diazepam for 20+/-13 (range 2-40) days. Central venous catheters were maintained for 20+/-9 (range 1-34) days for fluids, drug administration and blood sampling. No patient experienced bladder prolapse or wound dehiscence. CONCLUSION: Perioperative management with tunneled epidural and central venous catheters in newborn infants with bladder exstrophy facilitates immobilization, analgesia and sedation, resulting in an excellent cosmetic repair with no case of bladder prolapse or wound dehiscence.

Peripherally inserted central catheters: a randomized, controlled, prospective trial in pediatric surgical patients.

Peripherally-inserted central catheters (PICCs) are long-term IV catheters used for drug and fluid administration, blood sampling, or hyperalimentation. The short-term use of PICCs in postoperative patients has not been studied. In this randomized, controlled trial, patients received either a PICC or peripheral IV catheter (PIV). Our outcome measures were patient and parent satisfaction with care, complications of the venous access devices, number of postoperative venipunctures, and cost-effectiveness of use. Satisfaction was significantly more frequent in the PICC group (P < 0.05), and there were significantly fewer postoperative needle punctures in the PICC group compared with the PIV group (P < 0.05). Minor complications were common in the PIV group; major complications were uncommon in both groups. PICCs are more expensive, but better satisfaction can make them a cost-effective option. Additionally, insertion during surgical preparation time in the operating room (OR) means that cost is not increased by adding anesthesiologist and OR time. Anesthesiologists should consider placing PICCs in patients requiring more than 4 days of in-hospital postoperative care, especially if frequent blood sampling or IV access is required.