Schmerztherapie in der pädiatrischen Hämatologie und Onkologie

Abstract

Pain occurs frequently at all ages and can impair quality of life significantly. Pain in the pediatric population is also a risk factor for a multitude of health problems in adulthood. In the case of hematological/oncological diseases, there are many possible causes of pain, making a detailed pain anamnesis essential. The gold standard for measuring pain is the child or adolescent’s self-evaluation of pain. Physiotherapy and integrative methods represent the main non-medicamentous treatments used. Medicamentous pain therapy in children and adolescents with hematological/oncological diseases is governed in principle by the WHO pain ladder, whereby opioids should be introduced early. Whether pain therapy should be administered on an in- or outpatient basis needs to be considered for each individual hematological/oncological patient.