ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the pharmacological methods available for the management of acute pain in children. The management of pain requires a multi-disciplinary team, which should comprise medical staff, nursing staff, psychologists, play therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists. The combination of an analgesic ladder and the guide to drug doses will allow medical and nursing staff to make informed and effective decisions about the prescription of analgesia. Despite advances in pain assessment and delivery systems, morphine remains the drug of choice for severe pain. With increasing frequency of usage, and the production of protocols, medical and nursing staff have become more confident in the use of morphine for both children and neonates. Non-drug methods of analgesia must be used in conjunction with any analgesic agents required. A side effect of codeine phosphate is constipation; a stool softener, such as lactulose, should be prescribed and when possible a high fibre diet encouraged.
