PaediatricsEmergency MedicineAnaesthesia & ICU
Paediatric Acute Pain Management
WHO analgesic ladder for children, age-appropriate pain assessment tools, weight-based dosing per BNFc, non-pharmacological measures.
Source: WHO 2012; APAGBI; RCEM Best Practice 2017
Step 1 of ~5
info
Pain Assessment Tools
Choose age-appropriate tool: FLACC (0–3y, non-verbal), Wong-Baker faces (3–7y), numerical rating 0–10 (≥7y). Reassess every 30 min after analgesia. Always treat pain promptly — do not wait for diagnosis. Verify all paediatric drug doses against BNFc.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Drugs
- Paracetamol (Paediatric) · Analgesic / Antipyretic — First-Line Pain and Fever in Children
- Morphine (Paediatric) · Opioid Analgesic — Moderate to Severe Pain in Children
- Methoxyflurane · Inhaled Analgesic — Acute Pain
- Morphine (Orthopaedic Acute Pain) · Opioid Analgesic — Strong
- Ibuprofen (Paediatric) · NSAID / Analgesic / Antipyretic
- Morphine (Oral) · Strong Opioid Analgesic — Step 3 WHO Ladder
Decision support only. Always apply local guidelines and clinical judgement.