Pediatric Prehospital Pain Management: Impact of Advocacy and Research

Painful conditions are a common cause for emergency medical services transport. Adequate and appropriate treatment for pain in the prehospital setting is considered an essential part of care. Despite this, several studies have identified that pain in the prehospital setting is often undertreated with even greater disparities in the pediatric population. As a result, several organizations have written policy statements surrounding this issue advocating for better treatment of pain and further research into barriers and disparities in care. The aim of this article is to review the current state of prehospital pain management in children and adolescents and to highlight advances made in this area with a look toward future directions of care.