Acute pain is pain that is short term, occurring most often after injury or surgery. Patients need to understand that managing their acute pain actually helps their healing, and they play an important role in helping their doctors develop a pain management plan that works best for them.
There is no medical test that can tell your healthcare provider what level of pain you might be experiencing following an injury or surgery. That information has to come from you as the patient. Learning how to honestly describe and rate your pain will help your doctor determine the best way to manage that pain and get you on the road to recovery.
If your child has moderate to severe pain, they may receive narcotics during and after surgery. If your child is in the ICU after surgery, they may receive sedatives along with pain medicines.
