A University of Alberta research project is aiming to help doctors better manage pain in child patients.
The No Ouch research project is led by Dr. Samina Ali, who says that we’re not great at treating pain in children in an emergency room situation. Doctors have to consider what they could use, timing issues, competing interests in a busy ER, and with changing information and related evidence, it’s important to continue research in this area.
Managing pain helps the children and the families to feel better, and make the doctors’ jobs easier. Without pain, it is easier to diagnose the problems. And if pain isn’t managed properly, it can have short and long term consequences.
Short term, the child is uncomfortable and upset and that impacts treatment. In the long term, untreated pain can lead to them avoiding health care because they are afraid.
The No Ouch study involves two integrated trials, treating with and without opioids. It is one of four trials happening across Canada over the next three years, all focused on how best to treat children in the emergency department.
