Heel blood sampling in European neonatal intensive care units: compliance with pain management guidelines

Valentina Losacco; Marina Cuttini; Gorm Greisen; Dominique Haumont; Carmen R Pallás-Alonso; Veronique Pierrat; Inga Warren; Bert J Smit; Björn Westrup; Jacques Sizun; ESF Network

doi:10.1136/adc.2010.186429

Heel blood sampling in European neonatal intensive care units: compliance with pain management guidelines

Valentina Losacco, Marina Cuttini, Gorm Greisen, Dominique Haumont, Carmen R Pallás-Alonso, Veronique Pierrat, Inga Warren, Bert J Smit, Björn Westrup, Jacques Sizun, ESF Network

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective To describe the use of heel blood sampling and non-pharmacological analgesia in a large representative sample of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in eight European countries, and compare their self-reported practices with evidence-based recommendations. Methods Information on use of heel blood sampling and associated procedures (oral sweet solutions, non-nutritive sucking, swaddling or positioning, topical anaesthetics and heel warming) were collected through a structured mail questionnaire. 284 NICUs (78% response rate) participated, but only 175 with >/=50 very low birth weight admissions per year were included in this analysis. Results Use of heel blood sampling appeared widespread. Most units in the Netherlands, UK, Denmark, Sweden and France predominantly adopted mechanical devices, while manual lance was still in use in the other countries. The two Scandinavian countries and France were the most likely, and Belgium and Spain the least likely to employ recommended combinations of evidence-based pain management measures. Conclusions Heel puncture is a common procedure in preterm neonates, but pain appears inadequately treated in many units and countries. Better compliance with published guidelines is needed for clinical and ethical reasons.

Original language	English
Journal	Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition
Volume	96
Issue number	1
Pages (from-to)	F65-8
Number of pages	4
ISSN	1359-2998
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2010.186429 https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2010.186429
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2011

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Losacco, V., Cuttini, M., Greisen, G., Haumont, D., Pallás-Alonso, C. R., Pierrat, V., Warren, I., Smit, B. J., Westrup, B., Sizun, J., & ESF Network (2011). Heel blood sampling in European neonatal intensive care units: compliance with pain management guidelines. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 96(1), F65-8. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2010.186429, https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2010.186429

Losacco, V, Cuttini, M, Greisen, G, Haumont, D, Pallás-Alonso, CR, Pierrat, V, Warren, I, Smit, BJ, Westrup, B, Sizun, J & ESF Network 2011, 'Heel blood sampling in European neonatal intensive care units: compliance with pain management guidelines', Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition, vol. 96, no. 1, pp. F65-8. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2010.186429, https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2010.186429

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title = "Heel blood sampling in European neonatal intensive care units: compliance with pain management guidelines",

abstract = "Objective To describe the use of heel blood sampling and non-pharmacological analgesia in a large representative sample of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in eight European countries, and compare their self-reported practices with evidence-based recommendations. Methods Information on use of heel blood sampling and associated procedures (oral sweet solutions, non-nutritive sucking, swaddling or positioning, topical anaesthetics and heel warming) were collected through a structured mail questionnaire. 284 NICUs (78% response rate) participated, but only 175 with >/=50 very low birth weight admissions per year were included in this analysis. Results Use of heel blood sampling appeared widespread. Most units in the Netherlands, UK, Denmark, Sweden and France predominantly adopted mechanical devices, while manual lance was still in use in the other countries. The two Scandinavian countries and France were the most likely, and Belgium and Spain the least likely to employ recommended combinations of evidence-based pain management measures. Conclusions Heel puncture is a common procedure in preterm neonates, but pain appears inadequately treated in many units and countries. Better compliance with published guidelines is needed for clinical and ethical reasons.",

author = "Valentina Losacco and Marina Cuttini and Gorm Greisen and Dominique Haumont and Pall{\'a}s-Alonso, {Carmen R} and Veronique Pierrat and Inga Warren and Smit, {Bert J} and Bj{\"o}rn Westrup and Jacques Sizun and Gorm Greisen",

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language = "English",

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T1 - Heel blood sampling in European neonatal intensive care units: compliance with pain management guidelines

AU - Losacco, Valentina

AU - Cuttini, Marina

AU - Greisen, Gorm

AU - Haumont, Dominique

AU - Pallás-Alonso, Carmen R

AU - Pierrat, Veronique

AU - Warren, Inga

AU - Smit, Bert J

AU - Westrup, Björn

AU - Sizun, Jacques

AU - ESF Network

PY - 2011/1/1

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N2 - Objective To describe the use of heel blood sampling and non-pharmacological analgesia in a large representative sample of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in eight European countries, and compare their self-reported practices with evidence-based recommendations. Methods Information on use of heel blood sampling and associated procedures (oral sweet solutions, non-nutritive sucking, swaddling or positioning, topical anaesthetics and heel warming) were collected through a structured mail questionnaire. 284 NICUs (78% response rate) participated, but only 175 with >/=50 very low birth weight admissions per year were included in this analysis. Results Use of heel blood sampling appeared widespread. Most units in the Netherlands, UK, Denmark, Sweden and France predominantly adopted mechanical devices, while manual lance was still in use in the other countries. The two Scandinavian countries and France were the most likely, and Belgium and Spain the least likely to employ recommended combinations of evidence-based pain management measures. Conclusions Heel puncture is a common procedure in preterm neonates, but pain appears inadequately treated in many units and countries. Better compliance with published guidelines is needed for clinical and ethical reasons.

AB - Objective To describe the use of heel blood sampling and non-pharmacological analgesia in a large representative sample of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in eight European countries, and compare their self-reported practices with evidence-based recommendations. Methods Information on use of heel blood sampling and associated procedures (oral sweet solutions, non-nutritive sucking, swaddling or positioning, topical anaesthetics and heel warming) were collected through a structured mail questionnaire. 284 NICUs (78% response rate) participated, but only 175 with >/=50 very low birth weight admissions per year were included in this analysis. Results Use of heel blood sampling appeared widespread. Most units in the Netherlands, UK, Denmark, Sweden and France predominantly adopted mechanical devices, while manual lance was still in use in the other countries. The two Scandinavian countries and France were the most likely, and Belgium and Spain the least likely to employ recommended combinations of evidence-based pain management measures. Conclusions Heel puncture is a common procedure in preterm neonates, but pain appears inadequately treated in many units and countries. Better compliance with published guidelines is needed for clinical and ethical reasons.

U2 - 10.1136/adc.2010.186429

DO - 10.1136/adc.2010.186429

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21177753

SN - 1359-2998

VL - 96

SP - F65-8

JO - Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition

JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition

IS - 1

ER -

Heel blood sampling in European neonatal intensive care units: compliance with pain management guidelines

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