Comparative analysis of pain management protocols in pediatric and adult emergency medicine: a narrative review

Background Pain management in emergency medicine forms a critical aspect of the care provided to the patients and there are significant differences in the protocols tailored to pediatric and adult populations. Aim of the study This narrative review aimed to compare and assess pain management strategies in pediatric versus adult emergency care, considering physiological differences and clinical approaches. The review synthesized evidence from studies conducted across global emergency department settings to provide broadly applicable insights. Materials and Methods This literature review included many published studies till December 2025. The databases used include Google Scholar, PubMed and BMC Library using the following keywords “ Pain Management, Pain Assessment Tools, Multimodal Analgesia, Pain Pathways, Emergency Medicine ”. Results There has been a clear point of divergence between pediatric and adult patients with respect to pain treatment as far as the emergency department is concerned. Pediatric patients rely on age-independent scales for evaluation, weight-adjusted drug administration methods, balanced opioid use, and a pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approach that is liberal with regards to distraction therapy, topical analgesics, and regional analgesia. Adult treatment involves standardized scales for evaluation and a liberal pharmacologic approach for analgesics, opioids, adjunct analgesics, and multimodal analgesics. Conclusion Pain management outcomes go beyond immediate comfort to impacts on psychological well-being, quality of life, and even recovery trajectory, thus supporting comprehensive and patient-centered care.