Pain management in critically ill children is complex. Epidemiological research is needed to identify how often patients in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) experience pain and the practices being used to lessen pain.

Critically ill children experience pain and multiple painful procedures daily. Assessment and intervention practices vary considerably. Research is needed to establish best practices for pain assessment in patients with limited communicative ability and to determine which pain management strategies improve patients’ outcomes.

For the 220 patients in this study, pain was assessed a median (interquartile range) of 10 (7-13) times, usually with behavioral pain scales. 68% percent of patients received pharmacologic interventions and 44% received nonpharmacologic interventions.

A 24-hour observational cohort study was conducted in 15 units. Nurses completed surveys regarding patients’ communicative ability.

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