title: NICU procedures are getting sweeter: development of a sucrose protocol for neonatal procedural pain.
abstract: Neonates in the neonatal intensive care nursery experience multiple, painful, tissue-damaging procedures daily. Pain among neonates is often underestimated and untreated, producing untoward consequences. A literature review established strong evidence supporting the use of sucrose as an analgesic for minor procedural pain among neonates. A review of unit practices and nurses' experiential evidence initiated the production of a standardized protocol in our unit at the University of Washington Medical Center NICU in Seattle.Nursing practices surrounding sucrose use differed widely in dose, timing, and patient application. We carefully evaluated evidence documenting the effectiveness as well as the safety of sucrose administration and wrote a protocol and practice standards for our primarily premature patient population. This article describes the development and execution of a standardized, nurse-implemented, sucrose protocol to reduce procedural pain.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98195-6153, USA. mokhnach@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Larisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mokhnach
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Rachelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Glorioso
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Loeffler
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinabarger
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thorngate
authors.forename: Marna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yates
authors.forename: Kristi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Diercks
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berkan
authors.forename: Shwu-Shin
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zbirun
mesh_terms: D000278:Administration, Buccal; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing / Q000592:standards; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing; D010147:Pain Measurement; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D013395:Sucrose