Pain and Pain Relief in Pediatric End-of-Life Care

The pain experienced at the end of a child’s life is a complexity of physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and other factors. All factors in this matrix must be considered and treated to effect a successful system of care for a dying child. It is only in recent years that the special needs of the dying child and the child’s family have been recognized and specialized pediatric palliative care services developed. There is a small but evolving collective expertise that is developing clinical services to care for dying children. The knowledge base also is small but evolving. The collective knowledge base will grow more quickly with time if this endeavor becomes an international collaborative effort.