Effective management of children’s pain and anxiety in the Emergency Department
Effective management of children’s pain and anxiety during Emergency Department (ED) visits facilitates medically necessary care and procedures, and increases patient, family, and healthcare provider satisfaction. This chapter will review and update the chapter from the first edition that described evidence-based techniques for achieving this goal. A significant focus is on nonpharmacological strategies to relieve children’s anxiety, because high levels of anxiety exacerbate sensitivity to pain and disrupt the coping mechanisms of the child and parent. In addition, advances in techniques for pain relief for specific procedures will be detailed. Aspects of procedural sedation and analgesia that are especially pertinent to the ED will also be reviewed, along with two recommended regimens for moderate and deep sedation.