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The use of needles that break the skin and cause pain is a common practice around the world with babies aged between one month and 12 months (Appendix 4). In this review we were interested in whether giving babies sugar-based solutions to taste when the needle breaks the skin will help reduce their pain.  We found 14 separate studies that had asked ...

We examined 13 different types of commonly investigated non-pharmacological treatments (excluding breastmilk, sucrose, and music) to determine their efficacy for pain reactions after an acutely painful procedure (right after the needle ('pain reactivity') and less immediate pain reactions ('immediate pain-related regulation'). Fifty-one randomized controlled ...

Pain is commonly experienced after surgical procedures and multiple medications are routinely used to control it. This review assessed data from 36 studies of participants (3896 in total) experiencing moderate to severe pain after various operations. It found that intravenous (IV) formulations of paracetamol (either IV propacetamol or IV paracetamol) ...

Small amounts of sweet tasting sugar water solutions given in the mouth can effectively reduce pain in babies under one year of age during painful events such as needles and blood tests. This review was performed to see if the same pain-reducing effects occurred in children older than one year of age, and up to 16 years of age. We examined all published ...

Diclofenac is commonly used for short-term pain relief in children, particularly around the time of surgery. There is good evidence that diclofenac is effective for pain relief in adults, and side effects such as stomach upset are well known. However, developmental differences mean that children may sometimes react differently to medicines than adults ...

When children must give a blood specimen or have an intravenous drip inserted, many feel pain. Drugs like EMLA and amethocaine have been developed to numb the skin and prevent or ease pain caused by needle insertion. EMLA is generally applied for 60 minutes before the procedure, whereas amethocaine is applied for 30 minutes before drawing a blood specimen ...

Many psychological interventions are available for managing procedural pain and distress, the majority being cognitive, behavioral, or a combination of the two. Twenty eight trials with 1951 participants were included. There is evidence that certain psychological interventions are effective in reducing needle-related pain and distress in children and ...

Music should not be considered a first line treatment for pain relief as the magnitude of its benefits is small. Listening to music for treatment of pain offers potential advantages of low cost, ease of provision, and safety. This systematic review included 51 studies involving 3663 subjects. The review authors found that music reduced pain, increased ...

While hydromorphone appears to be a potent analgesic, evidence to date does not support its superiority over morphine for the management of moderate to severe pain. Morphine is the gold standard for the management of moderate to severe cancer-related pain. Alternatives to morphine are now available, including hydromorphone. This review found that hydromorphone ...

Some people with sickle cell disease get pain. The pain usually occurs in episodes but it can be chronic. Pain is often poorly managed. This review studied different types of pain-relieving medicines. There were no studies on chronic pain. Seven papers were found on pain episodes treated with anti-inflammatories, morphine and related medicines, and ...