Use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in a young child with pain from open perineal lesions.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been shown to be an effective treatment modality in adults experiencing pain associated with a variety of conditions. Therapeutic measures that are effective with adults can often be used with children. However, the benefit of TENS for children has not been well established since few research or clinical data have been published in the literature. This case report of a 4-year-old female with open perineal skin lesions who received TENS as an adjuvant therapy for painful dressing changes illustrates that TENS can be an effective treatment in children. In addition to the pain reduction seen in our patient, TENS therapy also had an opioid-sparing effect.