ACETAMINOPHEN IN THE MANAGEMENT OF BACKGROUND PAIN IN CHILDREN POSTBURN

This retrospective review evaluated the pain management of 395 acutely burned pediatric patients who were treated by a pain management proto col emphasizing acetaminophen as the initial medication to control bac kground pain. Pain was assessed by using standardized instruments base d on observations by patients, nurses, and parents. Morphine was added when scheduled acetaminophen (10-15 mg/kg/4 hr) did nob control backg round pain. Fifty percent of the children received only acetaminophen to control background pain. Younger children and children with the sma llest burns, regardless of age, were likely to be managed with acetami nophen alone. Most peak serum concentrations of acetaminophen were les s than 10 mu g/mL. When needed children also received medication for p ainful procedures, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. These a dditional medications were not more frequently given to children recei ving only acetaminophen for background pain. These data suggest that a cetaminophen is a safe, useful medication for the control of post-burn background pain in some children. (C) U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committ ee, 1997.