Comparative heel stick study showed that newborn infants who had undergone repeated painful procedures showed increased short-term pain responses.

AIM: We evaluated the short-term effect of repeated pain exposure on the pain responses of newborn infants using different pain assessment methods, as this area had been under-researched. METHODS: We compared 20 term, large for gestational age infants and 40 term, appropriate for gestational age controls. All had undergone a heel stick for a newborn screening test just before discharge, but the larger babies had also undergone at least other five painful stimuli prior to that. A pulse oximeter and a skin conductance algesimeter (SCA) were connected to the babies during the heel prick, and video recordings were made. Crying time, the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) and SCA measurements were compared within and between the groups. RESULTS: After the heel prick, the crying time (p = 0.021) and NIPS (p = 0.013) scores were significantly higher in the study group and the SpO2 levels were significantly lower (p = 0.009), but the heart rate (p = 0.981) was not significantly different between the groups. SCA measurements did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSION: Babies who received more painful stimuli during the first few days of life showed greater pain responses during a subsequent heel prick.

Comparison of skin conductance measurements and subjective pain scores in children with minor injuries.

AIM: Objective measures of perceived pain may aid clinicians in decision-making regarding analgesia. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an algesimeter to assess the pain response of children to minor injury when compared with self-report. METHODS: A commercially available skin conductance algesimeter was used to record pain in children presenting with a minor injury to a district general hospital. The recordings were compared with self-reported pain scores using the Wong-Baker FACES(®) Pain Rating Scale. RESULTS: Sixty-seven children below 16 years of age (36 females, 53.7%, mean age 11.9 years, standard deviation 3.1 years) were assessed. There was a significant correlation between self-reported pain and number of fluctuations in skin conductance per second for girls (r = 0.325, p = 0.027), but not for boys (r = 0.160, p = 0.194). There was no significant association between self-reported pain and number of fluctuation in skin conductance per second and patient age. CONCLUSION: There was a significant correlation between self-reported pain and the number of fluctuations in skin conductance in girls, but not boys. There may be a number of reasons for this gender variation, including difficulty in rating pain and lack of sensitivity in the pain rating scale.

Opioid-Free Anaesthesia Effectiveness in Thoracic Surgery-Objective Measurement with a Skin Conductance Algesimeter: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Chest surgery is associated with significant pain, and potent opioid medications are the primary medications used for pain relief. Opioid-free anaesthesia (OFA) combined with regional anaesthesia is promoted as an alternative in patients with an opioid contraindication. METHODS: Objective: To assess the efficacy of OFA combined with a paravertebral block in pain treatment during video-assisted thoracic surgery. DESIGN: A randomized, open-label study. SETTING: A single university hospital between December 2015 and March 2018. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-six patients scheduled for elective video-assisted thoracic surgery were randomized into two groups. Of these, 16 were subsequently excluded from the analysis. INTERVENTIONS: OFA combined with a paravertebral block with 0.5% bupivacaine in the OFA group; typical general anaesthesia with opioids in the control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraoperative nociceptive intensity measured with a skin conductance algesimeter (SCA) and traditional intraoperative monitoring. RESULTS: Higher mean blood pressure was observed in the control group before induction and during intubation (p = 0.0189 and p = 0.0095). During chest opening and pleural drainage, higher SCA indications were obtained in the control group (p = 0.0036 and p = 0.0253), while in the OFA group, the SCA values were higher during intubation (p = 0.0325). SCA during surgery showed more stable values in the OFA group. Pearson analysis revealed a positive correlation between the SCA indications and mean blood pressure in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: OFA combined with a paravertebral block provides effective nociception control during video-assisted thoracic surgery and can be an alternative for general anaesthesia with opioids. OFA provides a stable nociception response during general anaesthesia, as measured by SCA.

Transdermal Maltose-Based Microneedle Patch as Adjunct to Enhance Topical Anesthetic before Intravenous Cannulation of Pediatric Thalassemic Patients Receiving Blood Transfusion: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

Intravenous cannulation is experientially traumatic to children. To minimize this, EMLA® is applied on the would-be-cannulated area before IV cannula insertion. However, the time to achieve its maximum efficacy may be affected due to incomplete cutaneous absorption and the duration of application. The latter may be a limiting factor in a busy healthcare facility. The usage of dissolvable maltose microneedles may circumvent this problem by introducing micropores that will facilitate EMLA® absorption. A randomized phase II cross-over trial will be conducted to compare the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scores and skin conductance algesimeter index between 4 different interventions (1 fingertip unit (FTU) of EMLA® with microneedle patch for 30 min before cannulation; 0.5 FTU of EMLA® with microneedle patch for 30 min; 1 FTU of EMLA® with microneedle for 15 min; 1 FTU of EMLA® with sham patch for 30 min). A total of 26 pediatric patients with thalassemia aged between 6 and 18 years old and requiring blood transfusion will be recruited in this trial. During the visits, the VAS scores and skin conductance algesimeter index at venous cannulation will be obtained using the VAS rulers and PainMonitor™ machine, respectively. The trial will commence in August 2021 and is anticipated to end by August 2022.

Pain assessment in the critically ill mechanically ventilated adult patients: Comparison between skin conductance algesimeter index and physiologic indicators.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Critically ill patients are unable to communicate effectively, so it is difficult to assess their pain and analgesic requirement. Skin conductance algesimeter (SCA) index is a device that primarily measures changes in skin conductance real time to assess pain. METHODS: We planned this quantitative prospective observational study to assess pain in the critically ill mechanically ventilated patients in comparison to physiologic indicators such as blood pressure and heart rate. A repeated measures design was chosen, and a sample size of 180 was taken from 60 patients with sepsis, acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, community-acquired pneumonia, and postsurgical patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The two painful procedures chosen were tracheal suction and patient positioning. The data were collected at rest, at tracheal suctioning, 20 min later at positioning of the patient, and final reading 20 min later. Three testing periods, each including 4 assessments for a total of 12 pain assessments with sixty patients, were completed during each patient's ICU course. A total of six assessments were done with the patient at rest and three each with pain stimulus of tracheal suctioning and patient positioning. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in both hemodynamic variables during painful procedures except for the heart rate during positioning. The correlation between the SCA index and Ramsay scale was negative and significant. CONCLUSIONS: This instrument might prove useful to measure pain in uncommunicative critically ill patients and to evaluate the effectiveness of analgesic treatment and adapt it.