Procedural Pain

Common medical procedures used to assess and treat children can cause significant pain and distress. Untreated pain has short-term (pain and distress for the child, caregivers, and healthcare providers; prolonged procedure time; slower healing) and long-term consequences (increased sensitivity to pain; avoidance of healthcare settings; needle phobia, higher levels of anxiety before a procedure). Timely and effective multi-modal pain care improves procedure success rates, prevents the need for repeated attempts, improves patient flow, and improves patient and caregiver satisfaction. Before initiating any procedure: consider whether it is truly necessary, batch procedures together, optimize pain management, and engage caregivers in planning/decision-making.