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Postoperative analgesia in children — current practice in Germany
Author(s) -
Stamer Ulrike M.,
Mpasios Nektarios,
Maier Christoph,
Stuber Frank
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejpain.2004.11.010
Subject(s) - medicine , pain management , anesthesia , acute pain , analgesic , postoperative pain , opioid , physical therapy , receptor
German departments of anaesthesia were surveyed to determine current practice of postoperative pain management in children. The response rate of the survey was 58.6%: Questionnaires of 383 departments in which paediatric surgery was performed could be analyzed. 37.3% operated an acute pain service (APS). In 58.8% of the hospitals, postoperative pain management in children was mainly performed by surgeons or pediatricians. Anaesthesiologists or an APS were in charge for pain management in children in 38.6% of the institutions. Non‐opioid analgesics were the drugs most widely used (93.4%), whereas i.v. opioids were never used in 20.9% of the hospitals and used less than once a week in 28.7%. The intramuscular route was chosen at least occasionally by 27.7% of the respondents. Peripheral and central regional techniques were performed in most of the departments, however, frequency of use varied considerably between hospitals running or not running an APS. The majority performed the techniques of regional anaesthesia less than once a week. The basic primary quality criterion of pain therapy, a regular measurement and documentation of pain scores, was performed in only 4% of the institutions. Paediatric pain management does not meet quality criteria and standards of care already established in adults. In the future, additional education of the medical staff considering analgesic techniques and measurement of pain scores has to be emphasized.