Longitudinal comparison of preterm pain responses to repeated heelsticks.
BACKGROUND
Preterm infants receive repeated heelsticks over their hospitalization, yet contradictions exist regarding the influence of prior heelsticks, prior painful procedures, and severity of illness on assessment of the pain responses.


OBJECTIVE
Compare pain responses to repeated heelsticks in infants of varying gestational age groups, and determine the influence of number of prior heelsticks, total number of prior painful procedures, and severity of illness on pain responses over time.


METHODS
The descriptive longitudinal design utilized a convenience sample of 81 preterm infants from a Midwestern Level III newborn intensive care unit (NICU).


RESULTS
Significant differences in Preterm Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) scores were found between age groups. Both the severity of illness and the total number of prior painful procedures had a significant influence on pain scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses' use of developmental care and the QuickHeel device may result in lower pain scores. Higher severity of illness and number of prior heelsticks may lower pain scores.
Evans
Jane C
JC
Center for Research and Evaluation, School of Nursing, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, OH, USA.
McCartney
Eliza M
EM
Lawhon
Gretchen
G
Galloway
James
J
D000367:Age Factors; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006339:Heart Rate; D006365:Heel / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000451:nursing; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014743:Videotape Recording