Walters, C.B.; Kynes, J.M.; Sobey, J.; Chimhundu-Sithole, T.; McQueen, K.A.K. Chronic Pediatric Pain in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Children2018, 5, 113.
Walters, C.B.; Kynes, J.M.; Sobey, J.; Chimhundu-Sithole, T.; McQueen, K.A.K. Chronic Pediatric Pain in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Children 2018, 5, 113.
Walters, C.B.; Kynes, J.M.; Sobey, J.; Chimhundu-Sithole, T.; McQueen, K.A.K. Chronic Pediatric Pain in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Children2018, 5, 113.
Walters, C.B.; Kynes, J.M.; Sobey, J.; Chimhundu-Sithole, T.; McQueen, K.A.K. Chronic Pediatric Pain in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Children 2018, 5, 113.
Abstract
Chronic pain is a serious health concern and potentially debilitating condition, leading to anxiety, depression, reduced productivity and functionality, and poor quality of life. This condition can be even more detrimental and incapacitating in the pediatric patient population. In low and middle income countries (LMICs), pain services are inadequate or unavailable, leaving most of the world's pediatric population with chronic pain untreated. Many of these children in LMICs are suffering without treatment, and often die in pain. Awareness and advocacy for this population must be prioritized. We reviewed the available literature on the chronic pediatric pain burden in LMICs, barriers to treatments, and current efforts to treat these patients.
Keywords
chronic pediatric pain; low income country; middle income country; low and middle income country; pediatric palliative care.
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
