Archive for pain
What parents should know about anesthesia
The prospect of surgery can be distressing to parents and kids alike, but the idea of a child undergoing anesthesia can be often be even more concerning to families. Still, many babies and young children need anesthesia to be able to tolerate tests, surgeries, and other minor invasive procedures. We asked anesthesiologist Dr. Joseph Cravero, ... Read More about What parents should know about anesthesia
Tagged: anesthesia, pain, surgery
Minimally invasive approaches help ease Sydney’s chronic pain
Sydney Hart wants to reimagine the traditional “handicap” symbol. In her online shop, she offers pins, stickers, and other products that infuse the classic wheelchair silhouette with yin-yang symbols, LGBTQ and transgender flags, and even sassy devil horns. “I hope that having symbols with more character will open up the conversation and humanize people with ... Read More about Minimally invasive approaches help ease Sydney’s chronic pain
Tagged: muscular dystrophy, pain
Sticking it to needle pain
Ask any kid what they dread most about a visit to the doctor and you’ll likely hear the same answer: “Needles!” Whether in the form of vaccinations or blood draws, the pain associated with needlesticks isn’t “just a small poke” to many children. It’s a major source of fear and distress — and not just ... Read More about Sticking it to needle pain
‘Huggable,’ a social robot for kids, eases hospital stress
Children confined to the hospital often feel lonely, bored, or scared, and must cope with pain and homesickness. They may not fully understand why they are there or what will happen next. Hours can feel like days. That’s where a robotic teddy bear called Huggable could come in, suggests a new study published today in ... Read More about ‘Huggable,’ a social robot for kids, eases hospital stress
Opioid alternative? Taming tetrodotoxin for precise painkilling
Opioids remain a mainstay of treatment for chronic and surgical pain, despite their side effects and risk for addiction and overdose. While conventional local anesthetics block pain very effectively, they wear off quickly and can affect the heart and brain. Now, a study in rats offers up a possible alternative, involving an otherwise lethal pufferfish ... Read More about Opioid alternative? Taming tetrodotoxin for precise painkilling
Tagged: biomaterials and drug delivery, neuroscience, pain, surgery, toxins
Concerning rates of opioid prescribing to teens and youth
Teens and young adults are notably susceptible to misusing opioids and becoming addicted once exposed. Opioids should be used with great care in this group. Yet a large national study from Boston Children’s Hospital finds that opioid prescriptions to youth aged 13-22 are much like those in older adults. Based on 2005-2015 data from the ... Read More about Concerning rates of opioid prescribing to teens and youth
Tagged: adolescent medicine, emergency medicine, epidemiology, opioids, pain, policy, research
For Kayla, post-surgical pain relief supports a lifetime of care
At 24, Kayla Regan is old enough to be the mother of some of her fellow patients at Boston Children’s Hospital. “I like to say that I’m one of the elderly patients here,” she laughs. All jokes aside, Kayla has been receiving care at Boston Children’s since she was 14. That was when she first ... Read More about For Kayla, post-surgical pain relief supports a lifetime of care
Tagged: pain
Using ultrasound to trigger on-demand, site-specific pain relief
According to the CDC, 91 people die from opioid overdoses every day in the U.S. Here in Massachusetts, the state has an opioid-related death rate that is more than twice the national average. “Opioid abuse is a growing problem in healthcare,” says Daniel Kohane, MD, PhD, a senior associate in critical care medicine at Boston Children’s and professor ... Read More about Using ultrasound to trigger on-demand, site-specific pain relief