An important responsibility of physicians who care for children is treating pain and suffering when possible. Several studies have documented that a large percentage of patients do not have their pain adequately addressed. The most common type of pain experienced by children is acute pain resulting from injury, illness, or necessary medical procedures. It is the responsibility of the physician to understand and practice the basic tenets of pain control including the anticipation of pain, identification of pain and treatment of pain.

Prior to discussing tenets of pain control, several barriers to the adequate treatment of pain in children should be recognized. These barriers identified by the American Association of Pediatrics include the following: (a) the myth that children, especially infants, do not feel pain the way adults do, or if they do, there is no untoward consequence; (b) lack of assessment and reassessment for the presence of pain; (c) misunderstanding of how to conceptualize and quantify a subjective experience; (d) lack of knowledge of pain treatment; (e) the notion that addressing pain in children takes too much time and effort; and (f) fears of adverse effects of analgesic medications, including respiratory depression and addiction.

Health care professionals should anticipate predictable painful experiences and monitor the condition of patients accordingly. Additionally, it should be discussed with the patient and family that pain may be present. One of the large misconceptions is that all pain can be nullified. However, having a discussion with the family and the patient, if appropriate, allows them to understand that some discomfort may occur but that the pain will be anticipated and treated adequately.