Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America
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Little injury data exists for children who have disabilities. There is an urgent need to address injury prevention and to improve safety standards for this group. Understanding the epidemiology of injuries will allow clinicians to accurately advise patients and their families on individual risks and counsel them in steps to take to reduce those risks. ⋯ Hospitals must have Child Protective Services teams with specific training in abuse to children with disabilities. Discussion of maltreatment risk should be addressed during routine office visits and appropriate resources should be made available to provide support to families. Educational programs should be developed to alert providers to the risks of abuse of children who have disabilities.
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This article reviews the current understanding of pain evaluation as applied to children who have chronic illness and disabilities. Utilizing a collaborative medical approach, psychiatric principles of management are discussed. Case scenarios are presented to outline application of general strategies of clinical management.