Assessment of Pain Management in Pediatric Emergency Department in Mashhad - Iran

Pain may be described as a sensation of hurt or strong discomfort and is the body's way of sending message to the brain that an injury has occurred. Pain medicines block these messages or reduce their effect on the brain. Accurate administration of analgesia have a long –lasting effect on children whole experience of medical care and affects parent's and children's future reaction to pediatrics emergency departments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pain management on children in our emergency department. In this study we evaluated the relief of pain and anxiety on 100 children who referred to our pediatric Emergency Department (ED) in Imam Reza Hospital- Mashhad. The patients were assessed based on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations about pain. Patients were gone under IV Line 97%, Intubation 5% and Lumbar Puncture 28%. Training had been provided to 70% participants in the Emergency Department. Nonpharmacologic stress reduction was used in 35% of cases. Family presence was allowed only in 5%. Prehospital pain controlling was began on 20% of patients and continued in ED on 40%. At the time of discharge 40% prescribed analgesics. Sedation and pain prophylaxis was provided for 10% of patients undergoing painful procedures in ED. According to results, pain management in our Pediatric Emergency Department was inadequate. Physicians and prehospital EMS providers should be justified about the importance of pain relieving and trained how to use all available analgesic and sedative options.