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A survey of procedural pain assessment and non-pharmacologic analgesic interventions in neonates in Spanish public maternity units

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Abstract

Objective

To qualify and quantify clinical practices related to pain assessment and non-pharmacologic analgesia (NPA) in newborns in Spanish public maternity hospitals

Study design

We surveyed providers online regarding their use of pain assessment scales, NPA interventions in neonates undergoing procedures, as well parents’ presence or absence during interventions.

Results

The number of painful procedures and the subjective grading of pain from the responding physicians were similar in all hospitals. Only 12.5% of hospitals used pain scales. No NPA was employed in 37.7% of procedures, with less NPA used in the lower complexity hospitals for venous extraction (p < 0.001) and gastric lavage (p = 0.001). Respondents reported parents’ absence during 56.1% of procedures.

Conclusions

Available pain assessment scales and NPA interventions to mitigate pain are being underused. The presence of the parents during painful interventions is low despite the evidence that this may help to reduce newborns’ perception of pain.

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Fig. 1: Use of NPA in procedures studied.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the editorial assistance of Cynthia N. Lank (Halifax, Canada).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda University Hospital, Madrid, Spain

    Beatriz Castillo Barrio, Alejandro Rasines Rodríguez, Cristina Aneiros Suanzes, Roberto Ortiz Movilla & Miguel A. Marín Gabriel

  2. Clinical Biostatistics Unit, Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda University Hospital, Instituto de Investigación Puerta de Hierro (IDIPHIM), Madrid, Spain

    Ana Royuela Vicente

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Autónoma University, Madrid, Spain

    Miguel A. Marín Gabriel

Authors
  1. Beatriz Castillo Barrio
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  2. Alejandro Rasines Rodríguez
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  3. Cristina Aneiros Suanzes
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  4. Ana Royuela Vicente
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  5. Roberto Ortiz Movilla
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  6. Miguel A. Marín Gabriel
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Contributions

BCB designed the data collection instruments, coordinated and supervised data collection, collected data, and drafted the initial manuscript. ARR collected data. CAS collected data. ARV collaborated with the study design and did the statistical analysis. ROV conceptualized the study and critically reviewed the manuscript. MAMG conceptualized and designed the study, collected data, and reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miguel A. Marín Gabriel.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest

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Castillo Barrio, B., Rasines Rodríguez, A., Aneiros Suanzes, C. et al. A survey of procedural pain assessment and non-pharmacologic analgesic interventions in neonates in Spanish public maternity units. J Perinatol 40, 1764–1769 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-020-00800-1

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