Join Us at the SPPM Third Annual Meeting Program in Colorado Springs
By Yuan-Chi Lin, MD, MPH
Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Welcome to the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine Third Annual Meeting. This meeting embraces the current emerging scientific research and presents the up-to-date clinical investigations in pediatric pain medicine. The conference features Mechanisms in Acute Pain, Pediatric Regional Anesthesia, Integrative Medicine in Pediatric Pain, and Enhancing Skills in Pediatric Chronic Pain Management.
We are delighted to tap into the wisdom of nationally and internationally distinguished faculty who will participate in this exceptional event. Dr. Kanwaljeet J. S. (“Sunny”) Anand, Chief of the Division of Palliative Care & Pediatric Critical Care at Stanford University School of Medicine, will address the development of pain and consciousness in the human fetus and neonate; and the epidemiology of acute pain and analgesia during neonatal intensive care. He will analyze the scientific evidence for long-term effects of repetitive pain vs. analgesic therapy in newborns.
Dr. Tony L. Yaksh, Professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, University California San Diego, will lecture on the basic linkages in the primary afferent-spinal dorsal horn and ascending projection pathways; changes in the response of the primary afferents exposed to inflammatory conditions; and the changes in neural processing that represent transition of an acute transient pain state to a persistent pain state. He will furthermore compare and contrast changes in the neonate and adult organism systems evident in acute pediatric pain.
The 2016 meeting emphasizes the application and safety of pediatric regional anesthesia. Dr. Sophie Pestieau at Children’s National Health System in Washington, DC will review the congenital and acquired bleeding disorders; and guide optimal assessment of preoperative coagulation status of the pediatric patient and its implications for regional anesthesia. Practical implications of her presentation impact our daily work. As clinicians we are sometimes faced with perioperative management of patients with coagulation disorders. Dr. Pestieau will discuss indications and contra-indications, safety and outcomes for pediatric regional anesthesia.
Dr. Alan Bielsky, Director of Regional Anesthesia, Children's Hospital Colorado; Assistant Professor, University of Colorado, will share his clinical expertise regarding regional anesthesia in pediatric trauma. We will be proficient in recognizing the potential consequences of compartment syndrome in pediatric trauma, regional analgesia and selecting proper regional analgesic infusions techniques. Dr. Arjunan Ganesh, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver a special presentation enhancing our understanding of the current ASRA/ESRA practice advisory on regional anesthesia; setting up a safe environment for pediatric peripheral and neuraxial blocks; and preventing potential complications in pediatric regional anesthesia.
Attendees will not only benefit from review of the current information relevant to the safety of pediatric regional anesthesia, but will also receive MOCA credits from American Board of Anesthesiology for attending these sessions.
By popular demand, we bring back the pro and con debate. The theme of this section is “Usage of Clonidine in Pediatric Pain Medicine.” This excellent discussion session features Dr. Stephen Hays, Associate Professor of Anesthesia and Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Dr. Karen Boretsky, Associate in Perioperative Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital; Harvard Medical School.
Integrative Medicine plays a major role in pediatric pain management. Dr. Daniel R. Hilliker, pediatric psychologist at Mayo Clinic will discuss “Meditation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies”; Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, artist and Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford will address “Arts in Healing”; and Dr. Brenda Golianu, Associate Professor at Stanford, will address “A Holistic Approach to Pediatric Pain Management.”
Management of pediatric chronic pain is a challenging task. We need to enrich our knowledge and skill in delivering care for pediatric patients with chronic pain and suffering. Dr. Tony L. Yaksh, a world expert in the basic science of chronic pain, will address the mechanisms of peripheral nerve injury in ongoing pain sensations and the current concepts of neonatal phenotype in neuropathic pain. Dr. Nancy L. Glass, Director of Chronic and Palliative Pain Service at Texas Children's Hospital; Professor of Pediatrics and Anesthesiology at Baylor College of Medicine, will give a unique presentation on incorporating language that builds trust and reduces conflict; and, initiating difficult conversations with patients and families. Her teaching will definitely help us to optimize the patient-doctor relationship in pediatric pain practice.
A poster discussion section is a new feature for our 2016 SPPM annual meeting. We are very pleased to receive 92 submissions for our poster presentation session. In addition, eight excellent scholastic sessions of Problem Based Learning Discussion are included in our program. Plenty of special workshops will also be offered and include “Creating the Ideal Pediatric Pain Management Service”; a workshop designed to facilitate building a wellness paradigm of health amongst providers “Clinician Wellness and Fostering Resilience – The Essential Building Blocks”; “Acupuncture for Pediatric Peri-operative Anesthesia and Pain Management”; and “Advanced Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia.”
To foster an interactive and great learning environment, we will provide direct audience response system during our Third Annual Meeting. We thank SPA/SPPM staff and members of SPPM Educational Committee working tirelessly to organize this wonderful educational program. We are confidant that you will certainly enjoy this exciting conference. We look forward to seeing you all in Colorado Springs on March 31, 2016.
