Acute Pain, Pediatric
Acute pain is a type of sudden pain that may last for just a few days or for as long as three months. It is often related to an illness, injury, or a medical procedure. Acute pain may be mild, moderate, or severe.
Pain can make it hard for your child to do their daily activities. It can cause anxiety and lead to other problems if it is not treated. Treatment may not take all the pain away, but it may lessen the pain so your child can move around and tolerate it. Treatment depends on the cause of the pain and how severe it is. Acute pain usually goes away once your child's injury has healed or your child is no longer ill.
Follow these instructions at home:
Medicines
Managing pain, stiffness, and swelling
- If told, put ice on the affected area.
Put ice in a plastic bag.
Place a towel between your child's skin and the bag.
Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times a day.
- If directed, apply heat to the affected area as often as told by your child's health care provider. Use the heat source that the health care provider recommends, such as a moist heat pack or a heating pad.
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If your child's skin turns bright red, remove the ice or heat right away to prevent skin damage. The risk of damage is higher if your child cannot feel pain, heat, or cold.
Managing constipation
Your child's medicines may cause constipation. To prevent or treat their constipation, you may need to have your child:
Drink enough fluid to keep their urine pale yellow.
Take over-the-counter or prescription medicines.
Eat foods that are high in fiber, such as beans, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Limit foods that are high in fat and processed sugars, such as fried or sweet foods.
Activity
Have your child rest as told by the health care provider.
Have your child return to normal activities as told by the health care provider. Ask the health care provider what activities are safe for your child.
Ask your child's health care provider if doing physical therapy exercises to improve movement and strength can help manage your child's pain.
General instructions
Ask your child's health care provider if distraction, relaxation, or using oils from plants in your child's environment (aromatherapy) can help to manage your child's pain.
- Check your child's pain level as told by the health care provider. Ask the health care provider if you can use a pain scale to determine your child's pain level.
Keep all follow-up visits. Your child's health care provider will monitor your child's pain level.
Contact a health care provider if:
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Your child has pain that is not controlled by medicine.
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Your child has pain that does not improve or gets worse.
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Your child has side effects from pain medicines.
These symptoms may be an emergency. Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. Get help right away. Call 911.
This information is not intended to replace advice given to you by your health care provider. Make sure you discuss any questions you have with your health care provider.