Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in the Emergency Department

Acute exacerbation of an ongoing chronic pain can be a diagnostic and clinical dilemma. Chronic pain in children requires an interdisciplinary approach to assessment and treatment. Further, the child must commit to taking an active role in therapy. When this approach is not working, or there is an acute trauma to the affected region, children with chronic pain may present to the emergency department with extreme pain. Acute care health professionals may find themselves unable to modify the pain intensity with standard analgesic medications. The analgesic approach requires careful clinical management and liaison with the chronic pain team supervising the ongoing management of pain.