PICU-specific care bundles have been beneficial in standardizing the assessment, prevention and treatment of pain, anxiety and delirium.

While these practices show promise in addressing current management challenges in pediatric trauma, more research on how to better inform these practices in the pediatric trauma population is needed.

Multiple retrospective studies of pediatric trauma patients show high rates of inadequate analgesia in the acute setting and increased delirium rates compared with the overall PICU population.

Recent pediatric critical care guidelines emphasize early identification with validated assessment tools and goal-directed care protocols incorporating pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic measures to address pain and sedation.

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