Improving pain and distress management of children in the emergency department

© 2015 Dr. Franz Eduard BablAlternative title: Improving the management of pain and distress in children presenting to the emergency departmentThis thesis represents a compilation of peer-reviewed papers addressing the care for children in pain or undergoing painful or distressing procedures in the emergency department. After an introductory chapter, papers related to one of several themes are briefly introduced and placed in context with each other. The papers, and their compilation in this thesis, aim to provide guidance for paediatricians and emergency physicians caring for children on how to prepare for and reduce procedural and non-procedural pain and distress. Many aspects of this work, including certain research findings, evolving approaches to pain and sedation management and evidence-based teaching materials, are being used by, or have been implemented in, the Emergency Department at Royal Children’s Hospital and other emergency departments across Victoria, Australia, as well as interstate and overseas