How does pain management differ - the basics of analgesia in pediatric patients compared to the adult population

Pain management is a key component of medical care that shows significant differences in pharmacodynamics, epidemiology or psychological approaches between pediatric and adult patient populations. An analgesic drug is an agent used to treat pain. It is often inadequate and ineffective in pediatric patients - the younger the children, the less likely they are to receive adequate analgesia. Optimizing pain management in both populations requires continuous improvement in clinical practice and education of medical personnel and patients on pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. This article discusses the characteristics of analgesic use in children and adults and non-pharmacological approaches to pain management. Objectives: The purpose of our study is to evaluate the methods of analgesia used in the pediatric population and in adult patients and the differences associated with age group membership. Materials and Methods: The literature review was performed using Internet research paper databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline), using 28 articles available in English and Polish from 1983-2024. Results: Analgesia in children has its own specific characteristics that differ from analgesia in adults. These include differences in pain sensitivity, age dependence, pain rating scale, psychological aspects, choice of analgesic drug or drug dosage. Conclusion: Improving the quality of analgesia in children requires both pharmacological support and the use of non-pharmacological methods, education of doctors and parents, and emotional support.