Журнал обезболивания и медицины

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Knowledge of Pediatric Pain Assessment and Management between Pediatric Emergency Physician in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Section-Quantitative Study

Ahmad Khobrani, Ahmad AAL-Ibrahim, Muna Aljahany, Haya Hamdan Al-Anazi, Malak Mohammed Al-Shabi, Ghuzlan Ahmed Zubaidi

Objective: The aim of this study is to get an insight into the knowledge and attitude of physicians working in the pediatric emergency department towards pain assessment and management.

Methodology: A cross-sectional, survey-based study was carried out. The questionnaire items were constructed into three domains: demographic and practice-related data, participants’ knowledge and attitudes and beliefs towards pediatric pain assessment. The outcomes were reported for the whole sample and compared between four professional categories (residents, fellows, specialists, and consultants).

Results: The responses of 83 physicians were analyzed. The awareness about pediatric pain assessment tools/scales was significantly lower among residents (76.0%) than other professional categories (90.0-100.0%). The most frequent correct answers were related to the withdrawal symptoms following the sudden interruption of opioids (85.5%) Conversely, the most frequent errors were reported for the presence of a maximum dosage limit for morphine above which no additional pain relief benefits could be attained (70.9%). Most participants had correct beliefs regarding the importance of patients’ self-reports to accurately judge the intensity of pain (95.0%) with no significant differences among the professional groups. However, the majority of participants (67.5%) have incorrectly believed that pain estimation by a nurse is a valid and comparable measure for pain assessment to a patient self-report. Residents had the higher percentage of incorrect answers (91.3%), which was significantly higher than other professional categories (p=0.012).

Conclusion: Physicians had good knowledge levels; yet there is a need to implement educational and awareness courses. The reliance on formal guidelines for pain management should be emphasized.