Efficacy of sucrose as analgesia for procedural pain in neonates.
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.
Benis
Marilyn M
MM
Department of Pediatrics, Vermont Children's Hospital, Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT, USA. msbenis@aol.com
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
D013395:Sucrose