Perioperative Analgesia in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Otolaryngologic Surgery

Abstract

This article reviews the evidence regarding current perioperative pain management strategies in pediatric patients undergoing otolaryngologic surgery. Pediatric otolaryngology is a broad field with a wide variety of surgical procedures that each requires careful consideration for optimal perioperative pain management. Adequate pain control is vital to ensuring patient safety and achieving successful postoperative care, but many young children are limited in their capacity to communicate their pain experience. Current literature holds a disproportionate amount of focus on pain management for certain procedures, whereas there is a paucity of evidence-based literature informing most other procedures within the field.

Keywords: Acute pain; Ambulatory care; Analgesia; Children; Day surgery; Nonopioid; Otolaryngology; Outpatient.