Abstract
Objective: To identify the perception of doctors about pain management and the criteria for analgesic choice in pediatric and neonatal patients hospitalized in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. Methods: Descriptive, qualitative study, carried out in 2020 in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (UTINEO) of a tertiary-level Regional Hospital linked to a private university in the state of São Paulo Paulo. To conduct the interviews, a semi-structured interview was used and analyzed according to Content Analysis proposed by Bardin. Results: Regarding the characterization of the participants, five were male and 14 female. Seven participants have training in intensive care pediatrics, seven in neonatal pediatrics and five residents in pediatrics and neonatology. The length of experience in the children's field ranged from four months to 42 years, with an average of 10 years. The data were categorized into two thematic categories. Conclusion: It made it possible to apprehend that the participants are sensitized with pediatric pain, however, it was possible to identify that they do not use pediatric pain assessment instruments, which can influence the management of pain as a whole.