A Silent Disease: Looking at Chronic Pain in Children-View Recording

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Video Summary

Dr. Victor Mensah delivered a presentation on the importance of recognizing chronic pain in nonverbal children, especially those with autism. He emphasized the potential long-term effects of undiagnosed chronic pain on adult outcomes, such as poor socioeconomic status and mental health issues. The case study of a nine-year-old nonverbal child with autism highlighted the challenges faced by healthcare providers in diagnosing pain in patients who cannot verbally communicate their discomfort. The child endured a year of unnecessary suffering, marked by behavioral issues initially attributed to autism, which were eventually discovered to stem from dental pain.<br /><br />Dr. Mensah advocated for the use of simple pain assessment tools, such as the RFLAC scale, which can aid in identifying pain in nonverbal children. The presentation concluded with a call to integrate these tools into practice to prevent similar oversights. Dr. Mensah emphasized the need for greater parental and caregiver involvement, highlighting how cultural, socioeconomic, and family dynamics play a crucial role in managing and diagnosing chronic pain. He encouraged healthcare providers to broaden their differentials to improve outcomes for children with autism and reduce the burden on medical systems.

Keywords

chronic pain

nonverbal children

autism

pain assessment

RFLAC scale

healthcare providers

parental involvement