Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine
Better Care for Children in Pain

Welcome, Dr. Carole Lin: New Chair of the SPPM Communications Committee

We are thrilled to introduce Dr. Carole Lin as the new Chair of the SPPM Communications Committee.

About Dr. Lin: Dr. Lin is a Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Stanford University, specializing in pediatric and regional anesthesiology. She is a recognized leader in sustainability initiatives and medical media, serving on multiple professional society committees and producing educational content for anesthesiology and pediatric pain audiences.

Under her leadership, the Communications Committee will expand into new media ventures including YouTube videos, webinars, infographics, podcasts, and social media campaigns. If you are creative, passionate about education, and want to showcase your work,
we invite you to join us!

Please contact Jenny Patterson [email protected] or Kim Battle [email protected] for more information about becoming part of the team.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released its newest clinical practice guideline addressing opioid prescribing for children and adolescents in outpatient settings.

Led in part by Dr. Rita Agarwal, the new guideline emphasizes a multimodal approach to pain management — prioritizing nonpharmacologic therapies and nonopioid medications, and prescribing opioids only when necessary and appropriate. The recommendations aim to improve safety, minimize risks, and address longstanding disparities in pediatric pain care.

The full guideline, Opioid Prescribing for Acute Pain Management in Children and Adolescents in Outpatient Settings, is available here: Read the Full Guideline

The Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine (SPPM) is seeking a dedicated and passionate individual to serve as the next Chair of the SPPM Communications Committee. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Deepa Kattail for her seven years of exceptional service as Chair, during which she played a pivotal role in strengthening the SPPM communication network. We now invite interested members to step forward and help guide our communication efforts in support of the society’s mission.

Role & Responsibilities:

• Lead and oversee the SPPM Communications Committee including quarterly meetings and board reports.
• Develop and enhance communication strategies, including Question of the Month, Visual Pearl, Poll of the Month, website updates and other and social media.
• Collaborate with SPPM leadership to effectively share important society updates and initiatives.
• Engage members by promoting discussions, educational content, and events.

How to Apply:

If you are interested in this opportunity or would like to nominate a colleague, please submit a brief statement of interest and relevant experience to Jenny Patterson [email protected] by March 14, 2025.

Thank you for your continued support of SPPM. We look forward to welcoming a new leader to this vital role!

A recent case series describes the use of ultrasound guided continuous QL blocks to manage perioperative pain in pediatric kidney transplant patients. The case series demonstrated effectiveness for the technique and commented that further steps would include formal ERAS type protocols in the future.

Full paper her: https://www.ectrx.org/forms/ectrxcontentshow.php?year=2025&volume=23&issue=1&supplement=0&makale_no=0&spage_number=72&content_type=FULL%20TEXT

A newly published study in Pediatric Anesthesia sought to examine if there were disparities in perioperative pain management following routine pediatric tonsillectomy. In contrast to existing literature, they found that ethnicity was NOT associated with the likelihood of receiving opioid analgesia nor difference in mean morphine equivalence given, although they did find that Hispanic/Latino identifying patients had less formal pain assessments. 

Full study here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/pan.15048