Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Pain Management: After 40 Years in the Desert, Have We Reached the Promised Land?

Abstract

Pain prevention in the pediatric population is mandatory and an integrative aspect of medical practice. Optimal pain management is the right of all patients and the responsibility of all health professionals. The key to adequate pain management is assessing its presence and severity, identifying those who require intervention, and appreciating treatment efficacy. The population of pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery is unique in both clinical severity and hemodynamic response to painful stimuli, thus making pain management even more challenging. In this review, we will describe the different pain assessment tools as well as intra- and postoperative regimens of pain management.