Every child is different, their pain is different. That’s why we take a multidisciplinary approach to pain management.
Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) August 28, 2012
A new study hopes to improve pediatric pain management by studying the safety and efficacy of narcotics in managing children’s post-surgical pain. The study is being conducted by a team of researchers from Allied Anesthesia, Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and Purdue Pharmaceuticals.
Only a handful of studies exist on controlling pediatric pain with narcotics. Prescribing narcotics is a controversial issue as many physicians and parents worry that the child will become addicted or overdose. As a result of these fears, children are often left with no way to manage post-surgery pain effectively. However, pediatric pain specialists say these fears are largely unfounded.
“It’s highly unlikely that a child will become addicted or overdose if drugs are administered properly and only taken for a short period of time,” says Dr. Paul Yost, Allied anesthesiologist and Co-Director of Pain Management at CHOC.
Yost is one of 40-plus anesthesiologists specially trained and certified in pediatric pain management at Allied Anesthesia, the sole provider of anesthesia services for CHOC. Allied anesthesiologists are part of the hospital’s pediatric pain management team which provides 24/7 coverage to all inpatients. The team works with psychologists, child life specialists and other medical professionals to diagnose and treat each patient’s pain.
“Every child is different, their pain is different. That’s why we take a multidisciplinary approach to pain management. We work with CHOC staff from multiple specialties to assess the patient’s emotional and physical health and his or her cognitive development. Only after we’ve completed this assessment can we begin to treat the pain effectively,” Yost says.
For more information about Allied Anesthesia and its pediatric pain management services, visit http://www.alliedanesthesia.com or call 714-619-5383.
About Allied Anesthesia: With 48 highly qualified anesthesiologists on staff, Allied Anesthesia provides adult and pediatric anesthesia services to Joseph’s Hospital of Orange, the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, the Main Street Specialty Surgery Center, and many other Southern California healthcare facilities.
Allied specializes in pediatric anesthesia, performing approximately 12,000 pediatric anesthetic procedures a year. All of the group’s anesthesiologists have a special interest in pediatric pain management and are board certified or board eligible in pediatric anesthesia.
Allied is a member of the California Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Healthcare Financial Management Organization.
For more information, visit http://www.alliedanesthesia.com.