80049395 - Management of Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents

Saturday, September 28, 2019, 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM, The Arnold J. Capute, MD, MPH Conference Center in the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Building, Baltimore, MD


This will be a single day conference presented by keynote speakers as well as Johns Hopkins and Kennedy Krieger faculty and staff. The conference will focus on the importance of avoiding long-term management of chronic pediatric pain with opioid medications. The conference will present state-of-the-science information on medical aspects of acute versus chronic pediatric pain, and on vital differences in recommended management and treatment of acute versus chronic pain in children and adolescents. Discussion will include recommendations for limiting, and typically eliminating, narcotic or opioid medication use when pain is diagnosed to be chronic. Alternative, multimodal, interdisciplinary and rehabilitation-focused intervention and management approaches will be presented in detail. Emphasis will be placed on early diagnosis and appropriate intervention modalities including non-opioid medications, physical therapy, occupational therapy, cognitive-behavioral individual and family therapy, as well as social work and psychiatric interventions. Speakers will present information and recommendations concerning the functional, psychological, educational, social, and co-morbid mental health aspects of pediatric chronic pain. In addition to scheduled lectures there will be discussion groups organized by professional discipline during lunch and a concluding interdisciplinary panel discussion in the afternoon. The conference is aimed at outreach and continuing education of community medical and allied health care providers including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, school nurses, coaches and any other professionals who may encounter youth with pain conditions during their daily practice. The overarching goal is to disseminate information that will lead to appropriate management, early intervention and referral of children and adolescents with chronic pain to help decrease the chances of opioid misuse, dependence and addiction consistent with state and national initiatives to combat what has been referred to as the opioid epidemic and related morbidity/mortality from opioid abuse.

1. Recognize the difference between medications used for acute pediatric pain and chronic pediatric pain.
2. Identify the components of evidence-based rehabilitation of pediatric chronic pain.
3. Describe appropriate ways to seek professional consultation and to refer complex cases for treatment of pediatric chronic pain.
4. Recognize appropriate recommendations for parents on how to respond to their child's chroinc pain behavior.

Saturday, September 28, 2019