| Abstrakt: |
Treatment methods for acute pain have been the most thoroughly investigated pediatric anesthetic techniques recently. Many alternative methods to intramuscular administration of drugs, especially analgesics, have been assessed and include rectal and nasal administration, and use of oral transmucosal units, formerly known as “lollipops.” Continuous infusions of opiods have been shown to be more effective than on-demand administration, and providing adequate care is taken, can safely be administered to neonates. Patient-controlled analgesia is now firmly established in pediatric practice and can be used to control acute postoperative pain or subacute pain, eg, that due to cancer. Local anesthetics administered by simple infiltration techniques, by blockade of peripheral nerves, or by central epidural blockade provide long-term analgesia for patients at risk of being undertreated by opiod analgesics and can be used, again, even in small preterm babies if due care is taken. Patient-controlled epidural administration of local analgesics with or without opiods holds great promise. |
