Title: Oxycodone v. Codeine for Fracture Pain in Children

Keywords: oxycodone pediatrics, codeine pediatrics, fracture pain management (PubMed Search)

Posted: 9/19/2008 by Don Van Wie, DO (Updated: 3/4/2026)

Oxycodone v. Codeine for Fracture Pain Management in Children

When choosing an oral narcotic to give a child for fracture analgesia oxycodone is a better choice than codeine.
In this study children were randomized to recieve equianalgesic oral doses of either oxycodone (0.2 mg/kg, max 15 mg) or codeine (2mg/kg, max 120 mg) for forearm fractures
Children given oxycodone reported a pain score significantly lower than children given codeine
And children given oxycodone had less itching than those given codeine

References

Charney RL, Yan Y, Schootman M, Kennedy RM, Luhmann JD. Oxycodone Versus Codeine for Triage Pain in Children With Suspected Forearm Fracture: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2008 Sep;24(9):595-600.