Factors influencing the occurrence of neonatal procedural pain

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to describe the occurrence of neonatal procedural pain and explore the factors that influence the frequency of painful procedures. DESIGN: A descriptive prospective epidemiologic study. SETTING: NICU at a general hospital in China. METHODS: A demographic and diagnosis or illness information questionnaire and an occurrence of procedural pain questionnaire specifically designed for this study were used to record the current status of neonatal procedural pain. The neonatal infant pain scale (NIPS) was used to measure pain intensity. A multiple linear regression model was used to explore the factors influencing the frequency of painful procedures. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty neonates experienced a total of 16,840 painful procedures. Each neonate was exposed to a median (IQR) of 66.5(27,154.75) painful procedures during hospitalization and a median (IQR) of 13(11, 19) painful procedures. All 27 different procedures were considered painful, and 70.37% (19/27) of these procedures caused severe pain. Overall, the mean NIPS score of the 27 procedures was 5.04 +/- 1.52 with a range from 0 to 7. Respiratory support, age, and length of hospital stay were factors influencing the frequency of painful procedures. CONCLUSIONS: NICU neonates experience pain at a high frequency and intensity during hospitalization. Respiratory support, age, and length of hospital stay were factors influencing the frequency of painful procedures. Strategies are needed to bridge the gap between practice and the evidence-based guidelines.