SPPM Annual Meeting Reviews

Painful Journeys

By Kristen Spisak, MD
Director, Comprehensive Pain Services
Department of Anesthesiology
Dayton Children's Hospital
Dayton, Ohio

and Genevieve D'Souza, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
Director of Pediatric Anesthesia Resource Center
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Division of Pediatric Anesthesia 
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, California

We began our afternoon session with a wonderful presentation by Dr. Kenneth Goldschneider from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital about phantom limb pain, in which he discussed the various causes, risk factors, and mechanisms of development.  Dr. Goldschneider also taught us about the interventions, medications, and complimentary therapies used for phantom limb pain, as well as the preventative amputation protocol that he uses at his institution. 

Dr. Nihar Patel from Texas Children’s Hospital taught us about some “New Kids on the Block,” namely the Quadratus Lumborum, Erector Spinae, and Serratus Plane blocks.  He reviewed anatomy, ultrasound images, indications, and limitations of these newer blocks, as well as the recent literature supporting their efficacy. 

We then moved from the acute pain realm to learn about psychological risk factors and preventative strategies for pediatric chronic postsurgical pain from Dr. Jennifer Rabbitts from Seattle Children’s Hospital.  Dr. Rabbitts discussed the prevalence and modifiable psychosocial risk factors in children who develop chronic postsurgical pain.  She also shared with us the exciting results of a feasibility study that she conducted examining online psychosocial interventions aimed at reducing pre-operative anxiety and preventing chronic postsurgical pain. 

Finally, Dr. Laura Simons from Stanford University enlightened us about the interplay of fear and pain circuitry in pediatric pain.  She reviewed how physiological and psychological systems affect neural network development and subsequent fearful behaviors.  Overall, we had a great session with a lot of insightful questions, discussion, and feedback from the audience.