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Clinical Trial
. 2004 Nov 12;4(1):23.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2431-4-23.

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of pain in infants at risk for neurological impairment

Lynn M Breau  1 , Patrick J McGrath, Bonnie Stevens, Joseph Beyene, Carol S Camfield, G Allen Finley, Linda Franck, Alexandra Howlett, Karel O'Brien, Arne Ohlsson
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of pain in infants at risk for neurological impairment

Lynn M Breau et al. BMC Pediatr. .

Abstract

Background: To determine whether healthcare professionals perceive the pain of infants differently due to their understanding of that infant's level of risk for neurological impairment.

Method: Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU's) at two tertiary pediatric centers. Ninety-five healthcare professionals who practice in the NICU (50 nurses, 19 physicians, 17 respiratory therapists, 9 other) participated. They rated the pain (0-10 scale and 0-6 Faces Pain Scale), distress (0-10), effectiveness of cuddling to relieve pain (0-10) and time to calm without intervention (seconds) for nine video clips of neonates receiving a heel stick. Prior to each rating, they were provided with descriptions that suggested the infant had mild, moderate or severe risk for neurological impairment. Ratings were examined as a function of the level of risk described.

Results: Professionals' ratings of pain, distress, and time to calm did not vary significantly with level of risk, but ratings of the effectiveness of cuddling were significantly lower as risk increased [F (2,93) = 4.4, p = .02]. No differences in ratings were found due to participants' age, gender or site of study. Physicians' ratings were significantly lower than nurses' across ratings.

Conclusion: Professionals provided with visual information regarding an infants' pain during a procedure did not display the belief that infants' level of risk for neurological impairment affected their pain experience. Professionals' estimates of the effectiveness of a nonpharmacological intervention did differ due to level of risk.

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