Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine
Better Care for Children in Pain

During humanitarian crises, assessment and treatment of acute pain in children and youth are often not prioritized.  A short but important letter in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness raises awareness of this important issue and the impact of unmanaged pain for children in these situations.

Full letter can be read here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-medicine-and-public-health-preparedness/article/painful-call-about-the-underreporting-of-childrens-pain-during-humanitarian-crises/089E211686ECA654B91B4D567D6E2483

A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics has found that anxiety and depression is 3 times greater in youth with chronic pain compared to overall community prevalence, with 1 in 3 having anxiety and 1 in 8 meeting criteria for depression.

Full study can be found here:  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2823154

The Society for Pediatric Anesthesia is pleased to announce the availability of Young Investigator Research Award.

Submission Deadline is December 15, 2024

Click here for more information.

New consensus recommendations have been published in BMJ Pediatrics. Based on expert opinion and evidence in the literature, the guidelines supported the use of acetaminophen and various regional anesthesia techniques to improve analgesia and minimize opioids.

Full paper can be found here: https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/bmjpo/8/1/e002824.full.pdf

Congratulations to SPPM past presidents, Dr. Rita Agarwal and Dr. Robert Wilder for contributing as authors to recently published clinical practice guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics on opioids prescribing for pediatric acute pain. These are the first guidelines that provide guidance on prescribing of opioids to children and adolescents in an outpatient setting and is unique in having a patient/caregiver with lived experience contributing to this important document.

Read the full paper here: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2024-068752/199482/Opioid-Prescribing-for-Acute-Pain-Management-in?autologincheck=redirected