Paediatric Pain Management Experiences of Parents of Children in Botswana Referral Hospitals.

Only 19 parents/guardians were interviewed, and the authors say the sample is too small to interpret results at the hospital unit level. Participants were from two public referral hospitals in Botswana, so transferability to other countries or healthcare systems is limited. Parents/guardians reported their own experiences and perceptions of child pain, not children's direct reports. The interviewer and primary coder was a local paediatric nurse and parent, so personal bias was possible despite coding checks, field notes, and audits. Views about pain care may have been coloured by other aspects of hospital care, not pain alone.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Office of Research and Development, University of Botswana.

Do not read parents' trust and satisfaction as proof that pain was adequately controlled. Parents also described delayed nursing response, conflicting staff information, and children crying despite paracetamol.