Last update:
03-Jul-2023

Children are admitted to hospital at an estimated rate of about 30% during their childhood. The admission of children to the hospital is most often accompanied by painful procedures as an integral part of diagnostic methods and treatment. Τhe treatment of acute pain requires evidence-based assessment and interdisciplinary cooperation. Studies have shown that children who are admitted to hospital are subject to painful procedures resulting in 77% of them experiencing acute pain on admission and 64% in the first 24 hours of hospitalization. Factors related to the perception of pain include the child's gender, age and culture, previous experiences and personalized factors. Therapeutically, opioid administration is a common choice for the treatment of acute, postoperative and chronic pain. However, most of the time they have several side effects and reduced effectiveness. In addition to pharmaceutical methods, non-pharmaceutical methods of treatment of pediatric pain, such as breast-feeding, administration of sucrose and distraction lead to optimal treatment of pediatric pain. These methods have fewer side effects and contribute to reducing stress and pain intensity while offering parents the opportunity to participate in the care of their child.

Key words: Acute pain, Non-pharmaceutical methods, Pain assessment, Pediatric patients.