Acute Traumatic Pain in the Prehospital and Emergency Department Setting

Pain is a common complaint in the emergency and acute care settings. Adequate control of a child’s pain is important for improved patient assessments and can have long-term benefits affecting future medical care. Pain in children may be difficult to distinguish from anxiety, but there are validated tools to assist in objectively quantifying the severity pain in children of all ages. Pharmacologic as well as non-pharmacologic pain therapies can be effective. Providers who practice in the prehospital, emergency department, and other acute care settings should consider standardized protocols or guidelines for ensuring that pain is assessed and treated in a timely and safe manner.