Pediatric Chronic Pain Admissions Rise 831% in 7 years

The number of pediatric patients admitted to US hospitals with chronic pain diagnoses increased by 831% from 2004 to 2010. The average patient was a white girl about 14 years old with headaches, abdominal and musculoskeletal pain, and depression and anxiety, according to a study published July 1 in Pediatrics.

Of all patients, 65% had gastrointestinal diagnoses, 44% had psychiatric diagnoses, and 9.9% had a coded medication adverse effect, overdose, or substance abuse. Adverse effects of opiates were most common, at 1.4%. Chronic pain patients underwent a mean of 3.18 procedures per patient, with the most common being esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

This study documents for the first time for the pediatric population that readmission rates are substantial and that many patients undergo invasive procedures either diagnostically or therapeutically.

Bonnie: We can draw upon myriad reasons for this chilling statistic:

1. Parents lack of effort to educate and execute a healthy lifestyle plan for their children
2. Poor diet
3. Lack of physical activity
4. Environmental toxic overload
5. Reliance upon medication for symptoms instead of getting to the root of the problem
6. Abdominal pain, constipation, depression, headaches are all symptoms of gut dysbiosis