Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine
Better Care for Children in Pain

 

 

Make a Difference in Children’s Pain This Giving Tuesday

 

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for being part of SPPM, a Society dedicated to “Better Care of Children in Pain.” Your work, engagement and the vital contributions to pediatric pain management have made a difference to children’s lives, but together we can strive to do even more.

On this Giving Tuesday, November 29, 2022, when communities, organizations and individuals are coming together to transform our world through their generosity, we hope you will consider donating to the SPPM Education and Research Fund. We as members of the SPPM community make pain relief a priority. This is and will continue to be a work in progress. As pendulums swing back and forth, we must never lose sight of our goal of excellent pain management, while minimizing or preventing adverse side effects.

No contribution is too small and each contribution is a step towards better pediatric pain relief.

Make a Difference Today. Click HERE to donate.

Best wishes/Happy Holidays/Thank You.

Robert Wilder, MD, PhD
SPPM President

SPPM is a Section of SPA. SPA is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations may be tax deductible as allowed by law. Tax ID # 36-3532637. 

The CDC has just released an updated clinical practice guideline for prescribing Opioids for Pain. Although, the guideline is for patients over 18 years of age, pediatric practitioners often consult adult guidelines to guide their own practice. The guideline addresses the following four areas: 1) determining whether or not to initiate opioids for pain, 2) selecting opioids and determining opioid dosages, 3) deciding duration of initial opioid prescription and conducting follow-up, and 4) assessing risk and addressing potential harms of opioid use.

Follow to review this important update: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/rr/rr7103a1.htm. 

 

Meier et all has recently published a case series looking at robotic pyeloplasty in the pediatiric population utilizing a pathway that included caudal single injection block, acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Patients were not given an opioid prescription at discharge and none were seen within the 30 day postoperative period due to pain.

Follow the link to the study: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/epub/10.1089/end.2022.0263

 

Dr. Doralina L. Anghelescu et al have published a retrospective study examining regional anesthesia for pediatric patients who undergo amputation/limb sparing surgery and whether particular techniques help decrease chronic postsurgical pain. SPOILER: one method showed significantly decreased rates of chronic postsurgical pain of a neuropathic nature. Follow the link for free access to the paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cnr2.1719

The DEA would like patients to know about the opportunity to dispose of unwanted, unused medications on Saturday, October 29, 2022, from 10am-2pm, and they can go to https://www.dea.gov/takebackday#collection-locator to find a location near their home.