Introduction to the Treatment of Pain with Opioid Medications
Learning Objectives
Describe the developmental physiology of pain perception in fetuses, neonates, children, and adolescents
Explain the mechanisms of action, clinical indications, and common adverse effects of opioid analgesics in pediatric patients
Differentiate tolerance, withdrawal, dependence, addiction, and opioid‑induced hyperalgesia in the context of opioid therapy
Apply age‑appropriate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations to safe opioid prescribing and monitoring
Perform comprehensive pain assessment in infants and children using self‑report, behavioral, and physiologic indicators
Author(s)
Charles Berde, MD, PhD
Senior Associate in Perioperative Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesia | Critical Care and Pain Medicine | Boston Children's Hospital
Professor of Anaesthesia, Pediatrics | Harvard Medical School
Traci Wolbrink, MD, MPH
Co-Director, OPENPediatrics; Co-Director, Center for Educational Excellence and Innovation; Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship; Senior Associate in Critical Care Medicine | Boston Children’s Hospital
Associate Professor of Anaesthesia | Harvard Medical School
David Casavant, MD
Senior Associate in Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology
Critical Care and Pain Medicine | Boston Children's Hospital
Assistant Professor of Anaesthesia | Harvard Medical School
Citation
Berde C, Wolbrink TA, Casavant D. Introduction to the Treatment of Pain with Opioid Medications. 10/2015. Online Video. OPENPediatrics. https://learn.openpediatrics.org/learn/course/internal/view/elearning/3116/introduction-to-the-treatment-of-pain-with-opioid-medications.