A software-based observational coding approach for evaluating paediatric dental pain, anxiety, and fear.

Background: Dental practitioners desire non-pharmacological methods to alleviate anxiety, fear, and pain in children receiving dental care; high-quality evidence, however, is required to evaluate methods' efficacy.

Aim: This study aimed to develop and validate an observation-based coding approach (paediatric dental pain, anxiety, and fear coding approach [PAFCA]) to evaluate non-pharmacological behavior management techniques for anxiety, fear, and pain.

Design: Objective (video-based) and subjective (self-reported) anxiety, fear, and pain data were collected from a pilot clinical trial evaluating animal-assisted therapy (AAT) in paediatric dentistry, in which 37 children aged 7-14 were assigned to AAT or control before dental treatment (restorations or extractions).

An Adaptive Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial of Emergency Department Acupuncture for Acute Musculoskeletal Pain Management.

Study Objective: Acute musculoskeletal pain in emergency department (ED) patients is frequently severe and challenging to treat with medications alone. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of adding ED acupuncture to treat acute episodes of musculoskeletal pain in the neck, back, and extremities.

Methods: In this pragmatic 2-stage adaptive open-label randomized clinical trial, Stage 1 identified whether auricular acupuncture (AA; based on the battlefield acupuncture protocol) or peripheral acupuncture (PA; needles in head, neck, and extremities only), when added to usual care was more feasible, acceptable, and efficacious in the ED.

Acupuncture for acute musculoskeletal pain management in the emergency department and continuity clinic: a protocol for an adaptive pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Chronic musculoskeletal pain causes a significant burden on health and quality of life and may result from inadequate treatment of acute musculoskeletal pain. The emergency department (ED) represents a novel setting in which to test non-pharmacological interventions early in the pain trajectory to prevent the transition from acute to chronic pain. Acupuncture is increasingly recognised as a safe, affordable and effective treatment for pain and anxiety in the clinic setting, but it has yet to be established as a primary treatment option in the ED.