title: Efficacy of sucrose as analgesia for procedural pain in neonates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most infants experience painful procedures during their first days. Minimization of pain to decrease noxious effects is warranted. This Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) evaluates a meta-analysis of 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined sucrose as analgesia for neonatal procedural pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the efficacy and optimal dosing of sucrose for neonatal procedural pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search identified 5 studies that met criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, for a total of 271 infants studied. The primary outcome measure was crying time, measured for 3 minutes after a painful procedure following administration of water or varying doses of sucrose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in crying time between the 0.18 g sucrose and water groups (P > 0.05), but crying time was significantly less in the other sucrose groups. Doses of at least 0.24 g (2 mL 12% sucrose) were found to be most effective. No adverse effects were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This CAT systematically appraises this meta-analysis, provides clinical bottom lines, and includes recommendations for practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vermont Children's Hospital, Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT, USA. msbenis@aol.com
authors.forename: Marilyn M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Benis
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003448:Crying; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D013395:Sucrose / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D013395:Sucrose