1. Pediatric pain control practices of North American Burn Centers.
- Author
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Martin-Herz SP, Patterson DR, Honari S, Gibbons J, Gibran N, and Heimbach DM
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Age Factors, Ambulatory Care organization & administration, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Health Care Surveys, Humans, Infant, Male, North America, Pain Measurement, Treatment Outcome, Analgesics therapeutic use, Burn Units organization & administration, Burns complications, Burns therapy, Hospitals, Pediatric organization & administration, Pain drug therapy, Pain etiology, Practice Patterns, Physicians' organization & administration
- Abstract
This study investigated pediatric pain control practices in North American Burn Centers using a mail-in survey. Questions were asked regarding pain control practices, pain assessment methods, and perceived treatment efficacy for inpatients and outpatients in four age groups. Eighty-two centers responded with 111 surveys. Intravenous morphine was the most frequently used analgesic for wound care pain. The most common background pain medications were intravenous morphine, acetaminophen with codeine, and acetaminophen alone. The use of long-acting medications increased with increasing age. Additional areas reported in the text include nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic adjuvants, treatment of itching, pain assessment, outpatient pain management, and efficacy of pain control and assessment practices. There have been great advances in pediatric burn pain control and assessment in recent years, but room for improvement remains. This study provides a basis for evaluation and comparison among burn centers. It further highlights areas that may warrant additional study and intervention.
- Published
- 2003
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