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Open research questions in Pediatric Pain Management Techniques

48 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 642 Pediatric Pain Management Techniques papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Future research should focus on evaluating the long-term outcomes of VATS versus OTS and investigating the impact of reduced postoperative complication rates on patient survival.

    COMPARISON OF PAIN, EARLY MOBILIZATION, EARLY DISCHARGE, AND ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN PATIENTS FOLLOWING VIDEO-ASSISTED THORACOSCOPIC SURGERY VERSUS OPEN THORACOTOMY · 2026 · DOI

  • limit Our study has several limitations. First, it was conducted in a single centre, and all procedures were performed by experienced surgeons, which may the generalisability of our findings. Assignment to the study and control groups was determined arbitrarily based on the day of the procedure, without randomisation or stratification for patients’ characteristics and types of hysteroscopy, which may have led to selection bias. Although the assessment of the study outcomes was self-reported by the participants, the non-blinded study design may have also introduced investigator bias. The results may have been influenced by differences in the indications for hysteroscopy between groups, although the hysteroscopic procedures performed—diagnostic versus operative—were comparable. Lastly, while rates of moderate/high anxiety were lower in the animated video group, there were no statistical differences in the mean anxiety score or in the mean intraoperative pain, possibly due to insufficient power. Strengths and Limitations Compared to Other Studies Several studies have investigated the effectiveness of non- pharmacologic approaches in reducing anxiety before office hysteroscopy.7-11 Among those, decreasing waiting time, listening to music during the procedure, continuous interaction and support, and the use of a virtual reality headset during hysteroscopy have been shown to be effective. Akca et al.5 investigated the effectiveness of preoperative education using an animated video to reduce anxiety and pain during office hysteroscopy, compared with providing written information. Like our results, they observed decreased anxiety levels but found no impact on pain. Several patient characteristics have also been investigated in association with anxiety levels prior to hysteroscopy, including age, menopausal status, parity, previous caesarean section, history of depression or anxiety, and the type of hysteroscopic procedure (diagnostic vs. operative). Similar to previous studies, we did not find any significant association between these parameters and moderate/high levels of anxiety.5,7 increased anxiety has been associated Importantly, with higher pain levels due to the physiological interconnection between anxiety and pain perception.3,12 Similar to previous studies, we found higher mean VAS pain scores and higher rates of VAS >5 among patients with moderate/high levels of anxiety compared to those with low levels of anxiety.8,9,12 These findings highlight the importance of reducing anxiety prior to the performance of office hysteroscopy in the effort to concomitantly address patients’ pain perception.

    A prospective trial comparing the effect of preoperative information given verbally with the use of an explanatory animated video before outpatient hysteroscopy on patients’ anxiety and pain · 2026 · DOI

  • Addition- ally, the upper age limit of 65 was chosen to control for age-re- lated factors affecting VR tolerance, and future research should consider extending the age range to enhance generalizability to geriatric populations.

    The Effect of Virtual Reality Glasses Application During Urodynamics on Procedural Pain, Anxiety, and Hemodynamic Parameters: A Randomized Controlled Trial · 2026 · DOI

  • However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the selection and dosage of drugs in medical management. Although many pain departments report successful outcomes in the multidisciplinary management of chronic pediatric can- cer pain, there is limited data about the records of referred patients and administered treatments (10).

    Evaluation of Consultations of Pediatric Patients with Cancer Pain in a Tertiary Education and Research Hospital · 2026 · DOI

  • STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDYO_LIThis study evaluates a novel resilience-focused intervention specifically designed to promote physical activity engagement in adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

    Resilience factors, pain, and physical activity in adolescent chronic musculoskeletal pain: design and protocol of a pilot phase 2 single-group, non-randomized clinical trial · 2026 · DOI

  • We conclude that experimental designs allowing causal inference—ideally through mediation analyses—are currently lacking and urgently needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying IVR-induced hypoalgesia.

    Neurophysiological and psychophysical mechanisms associated with immersive virtual reality-induced hypoalgesia: a systematic review · 2026 · DOI

  • Future directions include the inclusion of multiple centers with multiple surgeons and expansion to other languages. Our current experience focused exclusively on the day-of-surgery experience and did not provide any postoperative instructions, such as wound care or physical therapy, so adding these components might also impact patient experience and potentially even outcomes. guidance exercises) The virtual reality simulation employed in this study was primarily passive in nature and did not incorporate active interactive relaxation (breathing operational simulations. Future research could attempt to integrate mindfulness-based breathing prompts or simulated the virtual environment. Such simple operations within enhancements may further activate the parasympathetic nervous system, potentially yielding more significant regulatory effects on physiological indicators such as heart rate variability.

    Virtual reality simulation of operating room visits to reduce preoperative anxiety in first-time gynecological patients: a randomized, single-center clinical trial · 2026 · DOI

  • Among the most theoretically rich aspects of our meta-synthesis are the findings concerning the cultural dimensions of pediatric pain management. Findings regarding culturally mediated variations in pain expression echo research that documented significant cultural differences in pain behaviors and reporting patterns among children (46). When healthcare providers’ biomedical explanatory models conflict with families’ culturally constructed health belief systems, the result can be what our synthesis terms “suboptimal symptom This meta-synthesis offers an in-depth integration of nurses’ perspectives on pediatric pain management, but several limitations must be considered. First, it draws on only nine primary studies, which may the robustness and generalizability of the synthesized themes.

    Nurses’ perspectives on pain management in pediatric care: systematic review and meta-synthesis · 2026 · DOI

  • This study has some limitations. Since the study was con- ducted with children aged 3–5 years, the findings are limited to this age group. In this study, the fear and anxiety scores were evaluated by the researchers, and the lack of children's self-assessment is a limitation of the study. In addition, in the study, children only experienced VR glasses once, so the results were limited to this experience. Another limitation of this study was the statistically sig- nificant difference in baseline pulse rate and psychological scores between the groups despite randomization. How- ever, this imbalance was statistically addressed by using ANCOVA to ensure the reliability of the intervention's effects. A further limitation is the lack of blinding of the research- ers who collected the outcome data (fear and anxiety scores). Since the assessors were aware of group assignments dur- ing data collection, this may have introduced detection bias. Although standardized and validated scales were used to reduce subjectivity, the absence of assessor blinding remains a potential source of bias.

    The effect of virtual reality glasses used during inhaler treatment on anxiety, fear and vital signs in children: a randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • Purpose: Pain is a major symptom for patients to seek medical services, but limited evidence supports the applicability and usage of facial expressions as a pain measurement strategy in the emergency department (ED).

    Facial expression differences indicate pain improvement at the emergency department · 2020 · DOI

  • OBJECTIVE: Although children's pain memories have been shown to be a powerful predictor of subsequent pain experiences in acute procedural and experimental pain settings, little is known about the influence of children's and parents' pain memories on children's future pain experiences in other painful contexts.

    The influence of pain memories on children’s and adolescents’ post-surgical pain experience: A longitudinal dyadic analysis. · 2017 · DOI

  • In addition to further investigation into the psychometric properties of the CFS during acute pain with a wider age range, future research could validate this measure in other contexts.

    Children's fear during procedural pain: Preliminary investigation of the Children's Fear Scale. · 2011 · DOI

  • This is a completely novel finding, as most studies on pain, especially the limited literature on pedi- atric pain, have samples that are predominantly female.

    Cortical thickness, surface area, and multisite pain: distinct patterns by sex in adolescence · 2026 · DOI

  • Key MessagesO_ST_ABSWhat is already known on this topicC_ST_ABSWhile there has been research regarding the role of neurodiversity in pain perception, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the influence of neurodiversity on the development and persistence of chronic pain in children.

    Neurodiversity in the Paediatric Chronic Pain Clinic: An Audit · 2026 · DOI

  • Counselling parents to continue breastfeeding or guiding them to use skin-to-skin care or music was rarely reported as used to alleviate infants' pain.

    Nurses' perceptions of pain assessment and management practices in neonates: a cross‐sectional survey · 2017 · DOI

  • Although there are major gaps in knowledge regarding the most effective way to prevent and relieve pain in neonates, proven and safe therapies are currently underused for routine minor, yet painful procedures.

    Prevention and Management of Procedural Pain in the Neonate: An Update · 2016 · DOI

  • Although the aaI did not significantly reduce anxiety and pain in these hospitalized children, further investigation of the influence of analgesic use and the moderating effect of attachment style is indicated.

    The Effect of an Animal-Assisted Intervention on Anxiety and Pain in Hospitalized Children · 2015 · DOI

  • Further research into the use of hypnosis to manage chronic pain in children should be a priority so that empirically based conclusions can be drawn about the effects of hypnosis on children.

    Hypnosis for the Management of Chronic and Cancer Procedure-Related Pain in Children · 2012 · DOI

  • Although it is generally acknowledged that certain affective and cognitive styles may play a role in an individual's experience of pain in general, investigations into these questions specifically as they pertain to pain that occurs during sex are relatively scarce.

    Negative Affect and Somatically Focused Anxiety in Young Women Reporting Pain With Intercourse · 2009 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND: School absenteeism and other impairments in school function are significant problems among children with chronic pain syndromes; yet, little is known about how chronic pain is perceived in the school setting.

    Chronic Pain in the Classroom: Teachers’ Attributions About the Causes of Chronic Pain* · 2007 · DOI

  • Although findings demonstrate that many different aspects of child and family life are affected by pain, the prevalence and severity of children's functional limitations associated with pain remain unknown.

    Impact of Recurrent and Chronic Pain on Child and Family Daily Functioning · 2000 · DOI

  • A major limitation of the existing literature relative to EST guidelines is the lack of treatment specification via a manual or its equivalent.

    Clinical hypnosis with children: First steps toward empirical support · 2000 · DOI

  • This gap in the literature is surprising, given that studies of children's memory for painful experiences are relevant to our basic understanding of cognitive development, pain perception, and--in some situations--patient management.

    Childrenʼs Memory for Pain · 1999 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND: It is difficult to determine the usefulness of distraction to decrease children's distress behavior and pain during medical procedures because many studies use very small samples and report inconsistent findings.

    Effects of Distraction on Children's Pain and Distress During Medical Procedures: A Meta-Analysis · 1999 · DOI

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48 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 642 Pediatric Pain Management Techniques papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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