Paediatric Pain Management Unit

The department examines and treats children who are admitted to Rigshospitalet with complex pain or who are treated with a pain pump. The department is a cross-disciplinary function which can be used by all health professionals at Rigshospitalet.

The pain unit is based on the Department of Anaesthesiology, 4013, at the Juliane Marie Centre.

About us

The department has a number of responsibilities aimed at minimising pain in children. The department treats children with complex pain courses and procedure-related pain arising from fantasy journeys and laughing gas. Every day the department staff take ward rounds visiting children in bed with pain pumps.

Training and guidance of staff in observation and treatment of pain in children is given high priority by the department. The department trains nurses to be responsible for pain treatment, to help with pumps, information and training of other staff.

Management

Steen Henneberg

Head of Department, Anaesthesiologist

Søren Walther-Larsen

Chief Physician, Anaesthesiologist

Susanne Molin

Paediatric Pain Nurse, Nurse Anaesthetist

Gitte Aagaard

Paediatric Pain Nurse, Nurse Anaesthetist

Bettina Nyegaard Nielsen

Pharmacist

Conditions and treatments

The department primarily provides care to children with acute pain and pain associated with malignant disease and treatment. The department assists with management of procedure related pain and is in the process of establishing a multidisciplinary offer to children with chronic pain conditions.

The department believes that children have the right to the best level of pain relief and symptom management that can be safely provided. Therefore, the department takes an interdisciplinary team approach to pain and symptom management, using drug and non-drug therapies.

Families play an essential role in comforting the child. The goal is to have staff and families work together to evaluate discomfort promptly and treat it effectively.

Finally, the department offers teaching in children's pain management to hospital staff.

Research

Project Morphine Mouth Wash

The aim of the trial is to study the pain-relieving effect of morphine locally in the mouth versus placebo on oral inflammation pain caused by chemotherapy in children. Morphine is injected as morphine mouth wash given locally in the mouth every three hours.

Nasal spray for procedure-related pain

The aim of the trial is to study the pain-relieving effect of nasal spray containing the pain-relieving drugs suphentanil in combination with ketamine for use in painful procedures involving children. Painful procedures that are part of the treatment of children at the hospital include application of venous access, removal of drainage tube, injections, change of bandaging etc. In addition, the studies intend to investigate the absorption of the trial medicine above the mucous membrane of the nose, to be able to assess the efficacy of administering through the nose. The nasal spray is given as a single dose before the pending painful procedure.

Contact

Paediatric Pain Management Unit
Section 4013

Entrance 4, 1st floor
Juliane Maries Vej 8
DK-2100 Copenhagen OE
Denmark

Tel: +45 3545 1341

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