Behavioral and physiological evaluation of pain in newborns performed by nursing staff
INTRODUCTION: In the last few years, pain assessment in newborns (Rn) has become a subject of great interest to professionals of neonatal care. Since there is a language for pain in this age group, its assessment can guide professionals in the implementation of analgesic measures for painful procedu...
| Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2010 |
| Country: | Brasil |
| Institution: | Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) |
| Repository: | Reme (Online) |
| Language: | Portuguese |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:periodicos.ufmg.br:article/50486 |
| Online Access: | https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/reme/article/view/50486 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Dolor Recién Nacido Enfermería Neonatal Cuidados Intensivos Dor Recém-Nascido Enfermagem Neonatal Pain Newborn Neonatal Nursing Intensive Care |
| Summary: | INTRODUCTION: In the last few years, pain assessment in newborns (Rn) has become a subject of great interest to professionals of neonatal care. Since there is a language for pain in this age group, its assessment can guide professionals in the implementation of analgesic measures for painful procedures performed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. OBJECTIVE: To recognize physiological and behavioral parameters used by the nursing team to assess pain in newborns. METHODS: cross-sectional study has a descriptive and quantitative approach and was carried out in four reference hospitals in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, from August to October, 2007. A sample of 180 nursing professionals filled in a specific form and data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: the nursing team assesses pain mainly by observing changes in the newborn's behavior, including changes in crying (98.3%), face (78.3%), mood (55%) and body movements (33%). The most frequently physiological changes referred by professionals were cardiovascular and respiratory changes (28.8% and 21.6%, respectively). Such changes were mostly remembered by nurses (40%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of behavioral assessment of pain in newborns instead of the assessment of physiological aspects, characterizes a knowledge area that has little attention on practice, and that still does not establish a consistent approach with the current literature |
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