title: Procedural pain guidelines for the newborn in the United Kingdom.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the use of analgesia guidelines for newborn infants in the United Kingdom.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postal questionnaire to every neonatal unit in the United Kingdom.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 192 of 244 units replied (78.7% response). Most units had a guideline for elective intubation (70%), sedation for ventilation (78%) post-operative pain (when appropriate) (74%). Less prevalent were guidelines for painful minor procedures (35%). Only 33% of units gave a sweet-tasting solution for analgesia before routine painful procedures and 12% used a topical anesthetic cream.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since the last survey in 2000 there has been a modest increased uptake in measures to prevent pain neonatal pain in the United Kingdom, but no pain guideline was present in almost 25% of units and no guideline for routine painful procedures in the majority.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, St James University Hospital, Leeds, UK. lizmckechnie@hotmail.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McKechnie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levene
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia / Q000592:standards*; D016292:Procedural Sedation; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009725:Nurseries, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents