Children under 6 less likely to receive ED pain medication after trauma

A retrospective cohort study of pediatric trauma registry patients evaluated in an emergency department from May 2022 through April 2025 examined whether age under 6 years was associated with less frequent documented analgesic administration among patients with painful injuries such as fractures, burns, and lacerations. The study reported that 42.9% of younger children received documented ED analgesia compared with 68.9% of older children, and this lower likelihood persisted after adjustment for injury severity, sex, mechanism, transport mode, trauma activation level, and ED disposition (adjusted relative risk 0.66). The authors concluded that children younger than 6 years with painful injuries had less frequent ED analgesic administration than older children.

Most relevant for: Children under 6 years old presenting to the emergency department with traumatic painful injuries such as fractures, burns, lacerations, or dislocations.

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