Bedside assessment of heel lance pain in the hospitalized infant.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a method of pain assessment to be used for hospitalized infants requiring blood test by a heel lance procedure. DESIGN: Observational study evaluating pain measurement and interrater reliability of pain measurement in hospitalized infants. SETTING: A Level III neonatal unit and a cardiac surgical unit at a major pediatric teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 20 infants whose gestational age ranged from 28 weeks to full-term. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Observations included behavioral measurements (facial expressions, body movements, and crying characteristics) and the physiologic measure of heart rate. Interrater reliability and the feasibility of using the procedural pain ass..