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The utility of pain scores obtained during ‘regular reassessment process’ in premature infants in the NICU

Journal of Perinatology volume 34, pages 532–537 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

To examine the association of pain assessment scores achieved through regular reassessment practice, as required by the Joint Commission (JC), with painful events and the use of analgesics in premature, ventilated infants.

Study Design:

A cross-sectional study was performed in two tertiary level neonatal intensive care units. Pain was assessed at regular intervals at each center using validated multidimensional instruments in accordance with the JC standards.

Result:

Sample comprised 196 ventilated premature infant patient-days. Overall, 2% of scores suggested the presence of pain, and 0.1% of pain scores were associated with analgesia. Ventilated infants who were exposed to multiple pain-associated procedures in a day never demonstrated pain score elevations despite infrequent preemptive or continuous analgesic administration.

Conclusion:

Pain assessment scores achieved using regular reassessment processes were poorly correlated with exposure to pain-associated procedures or conditions. Low pain scores achieved through regular reassessment may not correlate to low pain exposure. Resources that are expended on regular reassessment processes may need to be reconsidered in light of the low yield for clinical alterations in care in this setting.

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Acknowledgements

This work was completed while AJR was a predoctoral Jonas Nursing Scholar (Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence, New York, NY, USA), and was supported by a 2010 Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation/Purdue Pharma Pain Management Award. The author thanks Dr Mary W. Byrne at Columbia University and Dr John Lorenz at the Morgan-Stanley Children's Hospital of New York Presbyterian Hospital for their support of this research.

Author contributions

Dr Rohan conceptualized the study, designed the data collection instruments, coordinated and carried out data collection at the two institutions, drafted the initial manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nusing, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA,

    A J Rohan

  2. Cohen Children’s Medical Center of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, New Hyde Park, NY, USA

    A J Rohan

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  1. A J Rohan
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Correspondence to A J Rohan.

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The author declares no conflict of interest.

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Rohan, A. The utility of pain scores obtained during ‘regular reassessment process’ in premature infants in the NICU. J Perinatol 34, 532–537 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2014.57

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