Paediatric anaesthesia & critical care
Age-related patterns in postoperative pain: insights from the paediatric pain out registry: A prospective cohort study
Main finding · Worst pain score: age × female sex interactionResult — go to the resultInteraction coefficient 0.08 95% CI 0.02–0.15Authors' conclusion
In this paediatric cohort, 79% experienced moderate to severe postoperative pain, with higher scores in children aged 12+ and a peak in girls around the onset of puberty.
Study context
- Population
- Children aged 4 to 18 years undergoing appendectomy, tonsillectomy, hernia repair, orthopaedic or spinal fusion surgery; paediatric PAIN OUT registry (Germany, the Netherlands, Austria)
- Participants
- 2,005 children
- Exposure
- Postoperative pain by age and sex
- Outcome
- 'Worst pain' score (Faces Pain Scale 0 to 10), association with age and sex, adjusted regression
- Follow-up
- First day after surgery
Methodological detailsinternational registry, prospectively collected, multicentre
- International registry
- Prospectively collected
- Multicentre
Main finding
Worst pain score: age × female sex interaction
Interaction coefficient
0.08
95% CI 0.02–0.15
P = 0.017
As reported in the abstract
- Children with moderate to severe pain
- 79%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Mean oral MME (mg kg −1) | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Mean oral MME, appendectomy, by age (<12 vs ≥12 years)Higher doses in aged 12 years or older | 0.57 ± 0.52 vs. 0.60 ± 0.66 | P = 0.003 |
| Mean oral MME, spine surgery, by age (<12 vs ≥12 years)Higher doses in aged 12 years or older | 2.1 ± 1.6 vs. 2.7 ± 2.4 | P = 0.038 |
Factors associated with higher pain intensity
- Appendectomy and not receiving RA associated with higher pain intensity
Opioid doses by sex
- Comparable doses between the sexes
Original publication
Age-related patterns in postoperative pain: insights from the paediatric pain out registry: A prospective cohort study. Eur J Anaesthesiol. Published 17 July 2026. doi:10.
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