Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is developing a pain
management team that will specialize in addressing acute and chronic pain in children and
adolescents, especially those suffering from chronic or malignant diseases such as cancer.
The creation of the pain management team is part of a major initiative in partnership with
the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Canada, which also involves holding the first
Pediatric Pain Awareness Month in the Gulf region this November to raise awareness on
pain in children. Six workshops have been held targeting 240 healthcare professionals
involved in the care of children, and a symposium will be held on the 29th to conclude the
event.
Dr Mansour Ahmed Ali, Head of Pediatric Surgery at HMC said, “The specialized pain
management team will ensure more effective management of pain in children and
adolescents, and will consist of anesthetists and child life specialists as well as nurses and
doctors. Having a proper pain management team to look after children can change their
lives. It can help make their experience less unpleasant when they come to the hospital.”
Dr Ali explained that proper pain management is important in the development of a child’s
behavior and attitude, including how they react every time they come to the hospital for
treatment. “Poorly managed pain leaves an unpleasant experience and psychological
trauma on the child. It is also expensive and can cause a major drain on the country’s
healthcare system, because it can lead to prolonged hospitalization, multiple doctor visits,
loss of school days and of physical activity, and disturbance of normal life.”
Dr Guy Petroz, Director of Anesthesia for SickKids International said, “Pain is still a major
challenge for patients, societies, governments and healthcare professionals. Many studies
have proven beyond doubt that pain is underdiagnosed and undermanaged in various
patient populations including adults and children.” Dr Petroz highlighted the importance of a
multidisciplinary approach to providing effective pain management for children.
“The problem of underdiagnosed and undermanaged pain is more evident in children
because of many myths and misunderstandings,” said Dr Soupramanien Sivagnanam,
Chairperson of the Pediatric Pain Management Task Force. “For example, many people
believe that small children, infants and newborn babies do not feel and process pain to the
same degree as adults do. This belief is not only wrong but also harmful because it can
prevent proper detection of the child’s condition. Newborn babies and older children are fully
capable of feeling and processing pain since birth.”
Dr Sivagnanam explained that the difficulty in assessing pain at a small age can be a barrier
for proper pain management in children especially newborn babies, but this difficulty is
readily manageable with proper education and training. For example, children as young as
two years old can be taught to express their pain using age-appropriate language. “Almost
all pain in children is manageable with existing technology, although this does not mean the
complete elimination of pain in all children.”
A declaration issued in 2010 by the International Association for the Study of Pain – a
worldwide professional forum for science, practice and education in the field of pain – states
that access to pain management is a fundamental human right, and highlights the need to
address inadequate pain management in most of the world.
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