Effectiveness of parental education about pain in the neonatal period on knowledge, attitudes, and practices: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Despite the availability of effective, safe, and feasible pain management strategies, infant pain remains undertreated. Parents can play a key role in advocating for or delivering pain management strategies if they are educated. To date, a quantitative synthesis of the effectiveness of parental education about pain management in the neonatal period has not been performed. Objective: To systematically review the effectiveness of parental education during the neonatal period on pain management in infancy. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized trials (NRTs) that evaluated parental education with respect to pain management during the neonatal period in any setting from inception to February 2021. Screening of article titles and abstracts and data extraction were performed in duplicate. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk Bias Tool 2.0 and the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions for RCTs and NRTs, respectively. As per the GRADE methodology, critically important and important outcomes were identified. Critically important outcomes included utilization of pain management strategies and infant pain. Important outcomes included parental knowledge about pain mitigation strategies, parental attitudes, compliance with painful procedures, procedure outcomes, and safety. Data were combined and presented as relative risk (RR) or mean or standardized mean difference (MD or SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Of the six studies eligible for inclusion, four studies were RCTs and two studies were NRTs. Written information and/or video were used to deliver parental education during the neonatal period in hospital settings in all studies. Four studies (two RCTs and two NRTs) reported on critically important outcomes. The risk of bias was low for the two RCTs and moderate to serious for the two NRTs. Utilization of pain management strategies was assessed for heel lance in the first 48 hours of life in two studies and for vaccine injection at 2 to 6 months of life in two studies. Higher utilization rate for pain management strategies was reported in the pain education group in three studies (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04, 1.26; N=2712). There was no difference in the mean number of pain management strategies used in one NRT tracking utilization tracking utilization as continuous data (MD 0.20, 95% CI -0.01, 0.41; N=178). Parent-reported infant pain scores were lower in the pain education group in one RCT (MD -0.16, 95% CI -0.27, -0.06; N=1615). The quality of evidence for the outcome of utilization of pain management strategies was very low while for the outcome of infant pain the quality of evidence was moderate. Five studies (3 RCTs and 2 NRTs) reported on important outcomes. The risk of bias was low for two RCTs and high for one RCT and moderate to serious for the two NRTs. Parental knowledge about pain management strategies (SMD 0.54, 95% CI 0.26, 0.82), parental confidence in their ability to manage pain (SMD 0.24, 95% CI 0.14, 0.34), parental satisfaction with education (MD 1.18, 95% CI 0.84, 1.52) and parental satisfaction with pain management (RR 1.05. 95% CI 1.01, 1.08) were increased in the pain education group. None of the included studies reported on procedural outcomes. No adverse events with the pain education nor the use of pain management interventions were reported in one study. Conclusions: Parental education in the neonatal period was effective in increasing utilization of pain management strategies during painful procedures. Reduction of pain in infants is based on one study of moderate quality. Furthermore, parental education increased parental knowledge about pain management strategies, confidence in their ability to manage infant pain, and satisfaction with the education and pain management. Parental pain education should be incorporated into postnatal care.

Neonatal care in a Japanese NICU: notes based on a site visit.

This article presents an overview of a neonatal intensive care unit along with resuscitative care and management of the 22 to 23 weeks gestational age infant is as it was noted during a visit to the NICU of a large academic center in Japan. Non-English speaking neonatology communities may be at a disadvantage of having their research and practices well known in the English speaking ones. Thus, visits such as this are beneficial in exchanging ideas and practices that may ultimately be mutually beneficial in reducing mortality and morbidity in a specific category of neonates.

Does decreasing the frequency of changing intravenous administration sets (>24 h) increase the incidence of sepsis in neonates receiving total parenteral nutrition?

BACKGROUND: The optimal timing for changing intravenous (IV) administration sets that contain total parenteral nutrition (TPN), with and without lipids, in neonates remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether decreasing the frequency of changing IV administration sets (>24 h versus every 24 h) in neonates increases the incidence of sepsis within seven days of discontinuation of TPN and microbial contamination of the infusate. METHODS: The databases searched to identify studies that evaluated the frequency of IV administration sets on sepsis and microbial contamination of the infusate included MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science. The Evidence Evaluation Worksheet adapted from the American Heart Association's International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation was used to evaluate eligible studies for quality, level of evidence and direction of support. RESULTS: Two studies were reviewed; however, neither of the studies reported on the outcome of sepsis. One study reported that changing IV administration sets every 48 h did not increase the rate of infusate (amino acid or lipid) contamination compared with change every 24 h, while the other study reported an increase in the lipid infusate contamination rate when IV administration sets were changed every 72 h. CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence to support or refute routinely changing IV administration sets every 48 h or that decreasing the frequency of set changes increases the incidence of sepsis.

HISTORIQUE: On ne connaît pas le moment optimal pour changer les dispositifs de transfusion intraveineuse (IV) de l'alimentation parentérale totale (APT), avec et sans lipides, chez les nouveau-nés. OBJECTIF: Déterminer si le fait de réduire la fréquence des changements de dispositif de transfusion IV (plus de 24 heures plutôt que toutes les 24 heures) chez les nouveau-nés accroît l'incidence de septicémie dans les sept jours suivant l'arrêt de l'APT ainsi que la contamination microbienne du soluté. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Les chercheurs ont consulté les bases de données MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Bibliothèque Cochrane, Scopus et Web of Science pour repérer les études qui évaluaient la fréquence des changements de dispositif de transfusion IV sur la septicémie et la contamination microbienne du soluté. Ils ont utilisé la feuille d'évaluation des données probante adaptée de l'International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation de l'American Heart Association pour déterminer les études admissibles en matière de qualité, de qualité des preuves et d'orientation du soutien. RÉSULTATS: Les chercheurs ont analysé deux études, mais aucune des deux ne signalait l'issue de la septicémie. Une étude a établi que le fait de changer le dispositif de transfusion IV toutes les 48 heures n'accroissait pas le taux de contamination du soluté (acide aminé ou lipide) par rapport à un changement toutes les 24 heures, tandis que l'autre étude indiquait une augmentation du taux de contamination du soluté de lipide lorsque le dispositif de transfusion IV était changé toutes les 72 heures. CONCLUSIONS: Les données probantes sont insuffisantes pour étayer ou réfuter les changements systématiques de dispositif de transfusion IV toutes les 48 heures ou établir que la diminution de la fréquence des changements de dispositif de transfusion accroît l'incidence de septicémie.

Therapeutic hypothermia for management of neonatal asphyxia: what nurses need to know.

Birth asphyxia can induce a cascade of reactions that result in altered brain function known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Possible outcomes for survivors of birth asphyxia vary widely, from a normal outcome to death, with a wide range of disabilities in between, including long-term neurodevelopmental disability, cerebral palsy, neuromotor delay, and developmental delay. Treatment of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy has centered on dampening or blocking the biochemical pathways that lead to death of neuronal cells. The reduction of body temperature by 3ºC to 5ºC less than normal body temperature can reduce cerebral injury. At Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, the goal of therapeutic hypothermia is to achieve a rectal temperature of 33ºC to 34ºC, and the protocol is started within 6 hours after birth. The hypothermia is maintained for 72 hours, and then the infant is gradually warmed to normal body temperature (36.8ºC-37ºC). The protocol and nursing implications are presented.

Does the use of glycerin laxatives decrease feeding intolerance in preterm infants?

BACKGROUND: Glycerin laxatives are often prescribed in the neonatal population for meconium evacuation and to promote enteral feeding. However, the literature regarding their effectiveness has not been systematically reviewed. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of glycerin enema or suppository in preventing feeding intolerance in preterm infants at ≤32 weeks' gestational age or weighing ≤1500 g at birth. METHODS: The Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched to identify studies that evaluated glycerin enemas/suppositories for feeding intolerance. Using the Evidence Evaluation Worksheet adapted from the American Heart Association's International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, eligible studies were scored for quality, level of evidence and direction of support. RESULTS: Two clinical studies that evaluated meconium evacuation and feeding intolerance were included. One study showed no difference in the time to complete meconium evacuation or establishment of full enteral feeds, while the other showed that the times to first meconium passage and full enteral feeding were significantly shorter, and the rate of sepsis was lower in the glycerin enema group. CONCLUSION: The evidence regarding the effectiveness of glycerin laxatives for improving feeding tolerance is inconclusive in infants at ≤32 weeks' gestational age or weighing ≤1500 g at birth.