Continuous opioid infusion

What is a continuous opioid infusion?

Opioids (say: OH-pee-oyds) are strong medicines that are given to control pain. Morphine and hydromorphone are opioids.

A continuous infusion gives small but steady amounts of opioid medicine to your child. The infusion is given through your child's IV line. An IV (intravenous) line is a small tube that is put into a vein in your child's arm or leg to give medicine or fluids.

Opioid infusion keeps pain medicine levels steady

The infusion lets a specific, constant amount of medicine go into your child's IV line. This way, the level of pain medicine in the bloodstream stays the same at all times. Your child's pain is always being treated because they are always getting a steady amount of medicine. With an infusion, your child may be better able to cope with pain.

Managing your child's pain is important. When your child is comfortable, they will be able to help with their own care. Your child can also be up and moving around more quickly and easily. This will help your child get better sooner.

Assessing your child's pain

The nurse will regularly ask your child about their pain to find out how well the medicine is working.

An older child may be asked to pick a number from 0 to 10 to rate how much pain they feel. Zero means no pain and 10 means the worst pain.

If you have a young child, the nurse will ask your child to say if their pain is a little, medium or a lot.

There are other ways to check about pain in children that cannot speak or do not understand about their pain. To assess pain, the nurse will also watch your child for signs such as crying, fussing, playing or sleeping.

If you think your child is in pain, speak to your child's nurse.

Adjusting the infusion to better control pain

If your child is still in pain, the amount of medicine going through the IV will be changed. Or, your child may get an extra dose of medicine through the IV to deal with the pain more quickly.

Your child will have the infusion for as long as they need it

How much time your child has the infusion depends on the amount of pain they are having. It also depends on your child's condition. If your child has had an operation, the pain will get better each day after the operation. The nurse will keep asking your child about the amount of pain they feel. The amount of medicine in the infusion will be slowly lowered as your child feels less pain.

Other pain medicines after the infusion is stopped

When the infusion is stopped, your child may still get pain medicine. This may be through the IV or in a pill or liquid form. Generally, when your child is drinking and eating well, medicine in pill or liquid form is given. The type of medicine will depend on your child's pain.

Side effects from opioid medicine

Like many other medicines, opioids can cause side effects. Side effects are problems that may happen while taking the medicine.

Opioids may make your child feel sleepy, dizzy, sick to the stomach or itchy. Your child may also have a hard time going to the bathroom. This is called constipation. Sometimes, children are given a different medicine to help them feel less sick to the stomach or to help them go to the bathroom. Some children may have strange dreams or see or hear things that are not there.

Opioids may also slow your child's breathing rate. This side effect is very rare. Your child's nurse will watch your child very closely for signs of problems with breathing. Your child's heart and breathing rate will be monitored during the infusion. There are a number of ways to lessen or take away these side effects.

Ask your child's doctor or nurse about any questions or concerns you have.

At SickKids

Please note that your child will not be allowed off the floor while receiving an infusion. A nurse must accompany your child outside their room.