Chronic pain after surgery in children

Abstract

The literature on the topic is sparse. Prospective studies, including clinical examination, quantitative sensory testing, and long-term follow-up, are needed to increase our knowledge about the prevalence, risk factors, and underlying mechanisms.

Persistent pain following common outpatient surgeries in children: A multicenter study in Italy

“…and other authors suggest that very young age is protective against developing PPSP. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] The mechanism of age discrimination for development of PPSP is, however, speculative and an association between age and PPSP is not yet established in a prospective adequately powered study.…”

“…1,10 Known risk factors in children include preoperative pain and parental catastrophizing. 3 While it is generally believed that PPSP is less common in children than adults, 11 there is little prospective data to support this assumption. The positive association between PPSP and poorly controlled postoperative pain is established in the adult literature but undetermined in children.…”

Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Clinical Practice in Pediatric Postoperative Pain Management

“…Undertreated pain causes unnecessary suffering, an increased risk of complications, and increased risk of morbidity, as well as potentially leading to longer hospital stays (IASP, 2011). In the longer term, inadequate acute pain relief in children may lead to the development of chronic pain (Batoz et al, 2016;Fortier, Chou, Maurer, & Kain, 2011;Kristensen, Ahlburg, Lauridsen, Jensen, & Nikolajsen, 2012;Nikolajsen & Brix, 2014).…”

<p>Regional Anesthesia for Pain Management After Orthopedic Procedures for Treatment of Lower Extremity Length Discrepancy</p>

“…The prevalence of moderate to severe pain in hospitalized children has been estimated to be 27% with patients admitted to surgical services accounting for 44% of this total patient population. 11 One of the most important risk factors for developing chronic pain among pediatric surgical population is the presence of severe acute postoperative pain. 12 The incidence of chronic postoperative pain may be as high as 13% with many of these patients undergoing orthopedic surgical procedures.…”