Administering analgesia sublingually is a suitable option for children with acute abdominal pain in the emergency department.

Aim: Acute abdominal pain is a frequent complaint in children attending emergency departments. The aim of this study was to investigate the pain score reductions when children with acute abdominal pain received medication sublingually.

Methods: We carried out a multicentre randomised controlled trial in three children's hospitals in Italy between March 2015 and June 2017.