Pain Management Nursing
Volume 8, Issue 3 , Pages 111-112, September 2007

Time to Go Back to School! Is It a Good Thing?

College of Nursing, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania

Article Outline

 

Summer is about to wind down and it is time for children to go back to school. While out of school for the summer, it is hoped that a child you know did not suffer an injury. In the United States, traumatic injury remains the leading cause of death in people younger than 18 years (Roaten, 2006). Summertime is typically a time of greater activity, which can lead to greater opportunities for accidental injuries.

Many children have to be driven to participate in sports by a parent or friend. If the number of sports or activities increases, the possibility of being in a vehicular accident increases. Which sport a child chooses can increase the risk for injury. Yard et al. (in press) note that the popularity of martial arts is increasing. The most common mechanism of injury was being kicked (25.6%), followed by falling (20.6%), kicking (18.0%), being hit (7.2%), trying to break a board (4.8%), being thrown or flipped (3.9%), and hitting (2.7%). Over 50% of all injuries occurred at a place of recreation or sport. Fifty-five percent were participating in an organized class.

There are many more causes of pediatric trauma. The list can be lengthy: accidents while riding a bike, all-terrain vehicle, horse, skateboard, or in-line skates. How many children do you see riding something with no helmet?

Sports medicine physicians are noting an increase in overuse musculoskeletal injuries (Soprano & Fuchs, 2007). The increase is thought to be due to an increase in the number of athletes, increased intensity of competition, participation in multiple teams or sports, and participation at a younger age. Sports associated with the most injuries are basketball, cycling, football, and soccer.

It has been suggested that there is a greater motivational drive in adolescence which together with an immature inhibitory control system could be responsible for impulsive actions and an increase in risk-taking behaviors. Kapusta et al. (2007) noted that young men that smoked cigarettes also had cannabinoid-positive urine tests. The individuals with higher carbon monoxide levels (higher nicotine levels) were more likely to abuse alcohol or be alcohol dependent. We also know that abusing alcohol is bad for one’s health and that it can result in an increase of risk-taking behaviors.

What does this have to do with pain? Assessing pediatric pain is difficult, depending on the age of the child. In a commentary on pain in infants, children, and adolescents, Besenski, Forsyth, and von Baeyer (2007) review methods of screening children for pain. A child’s verbal description of pain is one method of screening. A child who does not understand the answer to the question, “what was the most hurt you have ever experienced” probably will not able to self-report about pain. Generally, most children over 5 years of age can use a self-report scale.

Hopefully, you don’t know a child that incurred a pain-producing injury this past summer. The difficulties encountered in assessing pain in children younger than 5 years make pain management more difficult. As children grow, they face different hazards that could progress to a chronic pain problem. We need to educate parents and all care givers about how to prevent or minimize childhood injuries and to try to effectively manage acute pain to prevent a chronic pain problem.

Back to Article Outline

References 

  1. Besenski LJ, Forsyth SJ, von Baeyer CL. Pediatric pain letter. Commentaries on pain in infants, children and adolescents. 2007;Available at: www.pediatric/pain.ca/ppl. Accessed May 29, 2007.
  2. Kapusta ND, Plener L, Schmid R, Thau K, Walter H, Lesch OM. Multiple substance use among young males. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 2007;86:306–311
  3. Roaten JB, Partrick DA, Nydam TL, Bensard DD, Hendrickson RJ, Sirotnak AP, et al. Nonaccidental trauma is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients at a regional level 1 pediatric trauma center. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2006;41:2013–2015
  4. Soprano JV, Fuchs SM. Common overuse injuries in the pediatric and adolescent athlete. Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine. 2007;8:7–14
  5. Yard EE, Knox CL, Smity GA, Comstock RD. Pediatric martial arts injuries presenting to emergency department, United States 1990-2003. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2007;10:219–226

PII: S1524-9042(07)00081-1

doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2007.07.001

Pain Management Nursing
Volume 8, Issue 3 , Pages 111-112, September 2007

Article Tools