With a focus on preventing opioid overdoses, the American Academy of Pediatrics has introduced its inaugural guideline for primary care providers on prescribing opioids to manage acute pain in children and teenagers. This guideline goes further than just promoting responsible pain treatment. If opioids are deemed necessary, it is important for healthcare providers to educate families about recognizing the signs of overdose.
It’s essential for parents to be equipped with naloxone, a medication that quickly counteracts an opioid overdose. The guidelines recommend that healthcare providers inform families about the proper way to dispose of any leftover opioid medications once their child’s pain has subsided, rather than keeping them at home for later use.
“Parents must be aware of how to react if they notice signs of an overdose when their child is taking opioids. Additionally, understanding the importance of safely disposing of unused opioids is vital in preventing potential tragedies,” stated Mehul Raval, MD, MS, co-author of the AAP guideline and Division Head of Pediatric Surgery at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
Dr. Raval is a Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
He was part of the main team that created the guidelines, which included insights from families along with contributions from pediatricians, anesthesiologists, and surgeons.
“The diversity and collaboration in our guideline development process is one of its greatest advantages,” Dr. Raval stated. “We provide practical advice for pediatricians focusing on multimodal pain management and responsible opioid use, emphasizing prescribing the lowest effective dose for the shortest time needed. Strategies to prevent overdose are essential for safe opioid prescriptions.”
It is essential to establish safe medication disposal as a common practice.
To learn more about how to dispose of medications safely and find disposal sites near you, check out:
https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/blog/how-to-properly-dispose-of-medications/
Dr. Raval serves as the Orvar Swenson Founders’ Board Chair in Pediatric Surgery at Lurie Children’s.
