Synopsis
Data show that in both high-income and low-medium income countries, needle pain is consistently rated among the most painful and least well-managed medical experiences for children. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 2 in 3 children and 1 in 4 adults suffer from a strong fear of needles. This fear, often rooted in negative experiences during childhood, leads to healthcare avoidance behaviours and is the leading reason for immunisation non-compliance.
Several initiatives have been successfully implemented to address this challenge, including the Comfort Promise, a global program adopted in more than 50 hospitals across 26 countries
on all six continents. This presentation will:
- Review data of procedures which cause to date the most untreated pain and anxiety among children
- Explore how untreated procedural pain in children results in higher morbidity and mortality.
- Discuss evidence-based modalities to prevent or ease procedural pain and anxiety which should be offered to every child, every time, everywhere.
Speaker
Professor Stefan Friedrichsdorf is a Professor of Paediatrics and the Chief of the Division of Paediatric Pain, Palliative and Integrative Medicine at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland. As the Medical Director of the Stad Center for Pediatric Pain, Palliative and Integrative Medicine he proudly leads one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind in the country, which received the prestigious ChildKind International pain relief certification and the Joint Commission Palliative Care Certification.
Dr. Friedrichsdorf is the physician lead for the systemwide “Benioff Children’s Hospitals Comfort Promise: We promise to do everything possible to prevent and treat pain. For every child. Every time.” aiming to reduce pain and anxiety caused by needle procedures. In 2024 he was recognized as a ‘Leader’ by Time Magazine in the “100 most influential people in health” edition.