Measuring Analgesic Interventions

It is generally recognized that pain assessment and management especially in newborns, children and other nonverbal populations is an unmet need. According to the American Medical Association, "the pediatric population is at risk of inadequate pain management, with age-related factors affecting pain management in children. Children are often given minimal or no analgesia for procedures that would routinely be treated aggressively in adults. Although much is now known about pain management in children, it has not been widely or effectively translated into routine clinical practice". These two factors combine to emphasize the necessity for an objective tool to quantify pain and monitor the effectiveness of analgesia, especially during treatments. Further, it is reported that many patients require a combination of treatments, and it is often necessary to test a variety of treatments before