Research Assessment #9

Name:

Meghan Reed

Date:

2 February 2018

MLA Citation:

Fein, Joel A., et al. “Relief of Pain and Anxiety in Pediatric Patients in Emergency Medical

Systems.” ​Pediatrics​, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 Nov. 2012,

pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/130/5/e1391.

Assessment:

Although I have previously tried to center my focus on pediatric neurology, I returned to

one of my previous research assessments about psychological impacts on pediatric patients for

this research assessment. In this article, I learned a few simple ways to ease pain and anxiety in

pediatric patients. One of the main points they made in this article is that the majority of children

are not administered enough analgesia, or painkillers, in order to feel comfortable in the

emergency department they are in. This is a big deal as it can then lead to a misunderstood

concept of pain and how the doctor can help with your pain, as well as lead to cases of

post-traumatic stress disorder in a few patients. This article states how many doctors need to

break any boundaries between them and their opportunity to get the best care for their patient.

Whether it be the parents of the child, ethnic differences, or genuine ignorance, these doctors

need to understand that they are caring for a child’s life, and it is their responsibility to make sure

they are as safe and comfortable as possible. This part really opened my eyes to more of what it
is truly like to be a healthcare provider, and how much pressure is really on for you to care for

your patients. Even though I know that I would have an immense amount of pressure on me as a

general pediatrician, once I read this article I was able to better understand what the main

difference between a general pediatrician and an emergency department pediatrician was, and

what responsibilities and pressures are different for each. Another smaller point that the article

makes is being sure to administer painkillers to patients even if they only have acute pain. It

should not take severe pain with immediate triage in order for a doctor to finally understand that

their patient needs help dealing with their pain.

The next major point that they had is not just the administration of painkillers, but also

allowing the child to have emotional support such as family present and professionals such as

psychiatrists, child life specialists, and others trained to help manage stress in patients. This

emotional support is as important, if not more important, for pain control in pediatric patients, as

they are often way more prone to respond to emotional support rather than the analgesia alone.

As well, if a child has their family with them, they are able to better communicate what their pain

is like, as the family is able to understand what the patient is saying and how they are feeling

better than a doctor that is a stranger can. If a child is able to show their parents or caregivers

exactly what hurts and they are able to feel comfortable, then their pain tolerance and their

anxiety is able to better be eased and they are able to recover at a better pace than with no

emotional support. This combination of familial support, professional help, and physical pain

relief is a great way to relieve pain and anxiety for pediatric patients in the emergency

department.