Evidence · Systematic review or meta-analysis
The use and reporting of neonatal pain scales: a systematic review of randomized trials.
- Comfort and nursing care
- Medical
- Nursing
- Pain and comfort
Summary
This systematic review examines how neonatal pain scales are used and reported in randomised and quasi-randomised trials, including 352 trials involving over 29,000 infants and 22 published pain scales. Most trials addressed procedural pain, with PIPP/PIPP-R and NIPS the most commonly used scales, though NIPS was often applied outside its validated context for ongoing and postoperative pain. Blinding of pain assessors was reported in only a third of trials, and 16% used scales not validated for the population or pain type studied. The authors emphasise selecting validated scales appropriate to the pain type and infant population.
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- Licence:
- Open (Creative Commons)
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