The complexity of pain management in children
Pain is defined as ‘an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage’ (International Association for the Study of Pain, 1994). The British Pain Society (2019) extends this a step further by stating that ‘pain is an emotion…’, and that ‘pain can be perceived as a warning of potential damage, but can also be present when no actual harm is being done to the body’.
The management of pain is complex—especially in children—as age, developmental level, cognitive and communication skills, and associated beliefs, must be considered (Srouji et al, 2010) Without effective pain treatment, children may suffer long-term physiological (e.g. stress hormone responses) or psychological (e.g. pain perception) changes (Finley et al, 2005), and are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Saxe et al, 2001; Sheridan et al, 2014).
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