Special consideration: emergency and trauma
In life-threatening situations, pain relief may be less important than determining the extent and nature of the child’s injuries and the treatment of those injuries. In other words, in certain situations, pain relief will come second to saving a child’s life. These situations are rare.
Evaluation of pain management
Evaluation of pain management is very important. It is done to ensure the plan of care for pain is working effectively or to suggest new treatments if required. In other words, your child's pain will be reassessed from time to time and changes will be made depending on the outcome of each assessment.
Pain relief strategies may need to change over time. As your child’s condition improves, the need for stronger pain medicine will likely be reduced. Some children respond better to one kind of pain medication than another and so it may take a while to find the treatment strategy that works most effectively.
One of the keys to evaluation is good communication between parents and children and their health care team. Children should be encouraged to express their feelings in a straightforward way. If the pain treatments are not working or there are side effects, the members of the health care team should be told. Sometimes we see changes in behaviour that help to signify that the child is feeling better like more play, laughter, improved appetite, and sleep. As a parent, you might note these signs before the healthcare team.