RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Exposure to invasive procedures in neonatal intensive care unit admissions.
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
JO Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP F47
OP F48
DO 10.1136/fn.72.1.F47
VO 72
IS 1
A1 D. P. Barker
A1 N. Rutter
YR 1995
UL http://fn.bmj.com/content/72/1/F47.abstract
AB The nature and numbers of invasive procedures were studied in 54 consecutive infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. Over 3000 procedures were recorded, 74% in infants below 31 weeks of gestation. One infant (23 weeks' gestation, birth weight 560 g) underwent 488 procedures. Heel prick blood sampling was the most common procedure (56%), followed by endotracheal suction (26%) and intravenous cannula insertion (8%). Invasive procedures which would cause pain or distress to a child are frequently performed on infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. A reduction in the number of procedures, modifying them, or providing adequate analgesia could relieve some of this pain and distress.