title: Longitudinal comparison of preterm pain responses to repeated heelsticks.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research and Evaluation, School of Nursing, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jane C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Eliza M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: McCartney
authors.forename: Gretchen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lawhon
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galloway
mesh_terms: 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