Ellen Campbell -Grizzle - PHARMACY TODAYCHILDREN NEED not suffer unnecessarily from the emotional distress and physical agony caused by pain. Encouraging the endurance of pain is not a way to build character in children. Keen parents who regularly monitor their children are alerted early to the fact that something may be wrong and spare the child pain-induced agony.
Children report pain in different ways from adults. Preverbal children may respond to pain by closing eyes or clenching fists. The pitch of their crying may signal that something is wrong. Older children will respond to parents' queries by pointing out sensitive areas on their bodies. Also, eating habits may change and movement or activity limited.
Providing medication for children presents a unique challenge. They are not to be treated as 'little adults'. Children differ in their response to drugs and great care must be taken in calculating doses and monitoring treatment.
In young children, the risk of toxicity is increased by inefficient filtering via the kidneys, enzyme deficiencies, different responses from target organs and inadequate detoxification caused by delayed excretion. Age and weight should be noted on the prescription as this information assists pharmacists to calculate the correct doses for infants and children. In most instances, these doses are determined based on age, body weight or body-surface area or a combination of these factors.
Effective management of pain in young children depends on:
The selection of appropriate medication.
Proper round-the-clock scheduling.
Supportive parents and care givers.
The use of gadgets and devices that make medication easier to take.
Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is one of the drugs widely prescribed and safely used to manage pain in children. This drug is commonly found in over-the -counter medication. It must be used as recommended. Overdosing can cause fatal liver damage. Ten to 15 grams of paracetamol taken within 24 hours can lead to severe poisoning. There are few significant early symptoms, however, internal damage may be incurring. The consumption of excessive doses of paracetamol requires urgent medical attention. Always check your medication labels to make sure that you are not giving your child too much paracetamol or any other drug.
Here are a few helpful tips for parents. You can assist in the identification and treatment of your child's pain by:
Regularly checking your child for pain symptoms.
Being honest and sensitive in explaining pain to your child.
Listening to your child's concerns.
Using simple and non-threatening language.
Reassuring and comforting your child.
Encouraging your child to tell you everything.
Do not add pain medication to your child's feed since interaction may take place with the milk or other liquid. Moreover, the ingested dosage will be reduced if all of the feed is not swallowed.
Pain is a powerful warning that the body gives when something is wrong. Your physician will assess the extent of the pain and find out the underlying causes. While every effort must be made to soothe pain in children, parents must seek advice from health care givers to rule out and treat these underlying causes.
Remember, there is relief for pain in children. Parents can prevent unnecessary suffering through careful monitoring and seeking help early. Give medication as prescribed and store them out of the reach of children. If you want to know more about how pain medicines work or need assistance to calculate the appropriate dose of medicine for your child, ask your pharmacist, you have the right to know!
Ellen Campbell-Grizzle, President, Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP), Director, Information & Research, National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA).
