Pain tells your child that something may be wrong in his or her body
Nerve cells at the injury site send messages into the spinal cord and then up to the brain and the “pain” is felt
You know your child best, and it is important for you to tell your Doctors and Nurses if you think your child is experiencing pain
If able, your child will be asked how bad their pain is, using a scale from 0 to 10, or by pointing to a picture of “faces” to match their level of pain. (insert faces diagram)
If your child cannot express his/her pain, we will ask you to help your child tell your Doctors and Nurses how much it hurts by using comparisons (such as a bee sting, a pinch, prickly burn etc.)
How is pain treated?
Pain can be treated using a variety or combination of the following:
medications
applying ice or warm compresses
gentle massage o rocking o reading a story together
Types of pain medication
Opioids: Morphine is an example. These types of medications are given to treat severe pain.
Nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs: Ibuprofen (Advil) is an example. These help to reduce mild to moderate pain as well as swelling and soreness.
Local anesthetic: Lidocaine is an example. These medications are injected near the incision site to help control pain.
How will pain medicines be given?
Medications can be given by mouth in the form of pills or liquids, injections into the muscles, veins, or even through a small tube inserted in the back.
It may be necessary to have IV (inside the vein) access to give your child medications, the medications work faster when given IV and usually do not hurt.
Pain medication given as a “shot” in a muscle may cause the area to hurt for a brief while after the medication has been injected.
Our goal at Sanford is to treat pain early and not let it get out of control. We want your child to be as comfortable as possible!