Neonatal pain assessment practices in the maternity ward (delivery room and postpartum ward): We can improve! 2018

L Calamy, and E Walter-Nicolet
Emergency department, hôpital Robert-Debré, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 48, boulevard Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France. Electronic address: lucie.calamy@aphp.fr.

BACKGROUND Almost 20% of neonates experience pain during delivery or the period following birth. OBJECTIVE To describe the practices of pain assessment in the maternity wards in the greater Paris area, France. METHODS An e-mail questionnaire was sent to each practitioner in the 96 maternity units in Île de France between December 2013 and February 2014. RESULTS In all, 63 (65%) questionnaires were completed. Pain was assessed in 43 (68%) maternity units, mostly using the French scale "échelle de douleur et d'inconfort du nouveau-né" (EDIN). In total, 20 maternity units (32%) reported no pain assessment, mainly because they considered it to be too time-consuming, or because they argued that no pain scale was adequate; they relied on clinical signs or on the obstetric history for assessing and treating pain. About 40% of the maternity units using the EDIN scale judged it unsuitable for evaluating pain in term neonates in maternity units. CONCLUSIONS This first regional study on pain assessment in the maternity ward showed that nearly two thirds of centers assessed pain. This rate may be overestimated because of the reporting method used. The EDIN scale is the most widely used tool but seems unsuitable especially for the delivery room setting. Studies should be conducted to test other tools for assessing neonatal pain in the delivery room.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D010146 Pain An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by NERVE ENDINGS of NOCICEPTIVE NEURONS. Suffering, Physical,Ache,Pain, Burning,Pain, Crushing,Pain, Migratory,Pain, Radiating,Pain, Splitting,Aches,Burning Pain,Burning Pains,Crushing Pain,Crushing Pains,Migratory Pain,Migratory Pains,Pains, Burning,Pains, Crushing,Pains, Migratory,Pains, Radiating,Pains, Splitting,Physical Suffering,Physical Sufferings,Radiating Pain,Radiating Pains,Splitting Pain,Splitting Pains,Sufferings, Physical
D010147 Pain Measurement Scales, questionnaires, tests, and other methods used to assess pain severity and duration in patients or experimental animals to aid in diagnosis, therapy, and physiological studies. Analgesia Tests,Analogue Pain Scale,Formalin Test,McGill Pain Questionnaire,Nociception Tests,Pain Assessment,Pain Intensity,Pain Severity,Tourniquet Pain Test,Visual Analogue Pain Scale,Analog Pain Scale,Assessment, Pain,McGill Pain Scale,Visual Analog Pain Scale,Analgesia Test,Analog Pain Scales,Analogue Pain Scales,Formalin Tests,Intensity, Pain,Measurement, Pain,Nociception Test,Pain Assessments,Pain Intensities,Pain Measurements,Pain Questionnaire, McGill,Pain Scale, Analog,Pain Scale, Analogue,Pain Scale, McGill,Pain Severities,Pain Test, Tourniquet,Questionnaire, McGill Pain,Scale, Analog Pain,Scale, Analogue Pain,Scale, McGill Pain,Severity, Pain,Test, Analgesia,Test, Formalin,Test, Nociception,Test, Tourniquet Pain,Tests, Nociception,Tourniquet Pain Tests
D010818 Practice Patterns, Physicians' Patterns of practice related to diagnosis and treatment as especially influenced by cost of the service requested and provided. Clinical Practice Patterns,Physician's Practice Patterns,Clinical Practice Pattern,Pattern, Clinical Practice,Patterns, Clinical Practice,Practice Pattern, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Physician's,Prescribing Patterns, Physician,Physician Practice Patterns,Physician Prescribing Pattern,Physician Prescribing Patterns,Physician's Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Patterns,Practice Pattern, Physician's,Practice Pattern, Physicians',Practice Patterns, Physician,Prescribing Pattern, Physician
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005602 France A country in western Europe bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel, the Mediterranean Sea, and the countries of Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the principalities of Andorra and Monaco, and by the duchy of Luxembourg. Its capital is Paris. Corsica,Saint Pierre and Miquelon,Miquelon and Saint Pierre,Miquelon and St. Pierre,St. Pierre and Miquelon
D006771 Hospitals, Maternity Special hospitals which provide care to women during pregnancy and parturition. Maternity Hospitals,Hospital, Maternity,Maternity Hospital
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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