The assessment of exposures of preterm newborns with respiratory disorders to selected traumatic factors generated in the process of nursing care: an observational study

Abstract

Background The hospitalization of preterm newborns carries a risk of frequent exposure to traumatizing factors generated by the hospital environment and multi-specialty services. Aim of study The assessment of premature newborns with respiratory failure and exposure to traumatic factors such as pain and touch generated during nursing procedures. Material and methods The study was conducted on the 1st and 7th days of hospitalization during 2020 of a group of 10 premature newborns with respiratory disorders at the Department of Newborn Pathology of the Clinical Department of Neonatology at the University Hospital in Krakow (Poland). The research method was based on the 24-hour observation of newborns for exposures to factors generating pain and traumatic touch. The research tools included scales for assessing pain expression — Neonatal/Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), CRIES, and an original questionnaire. Results On the first day of hospitalization, the study group was subjected to 541 nursing procedures exposing the newborns to touch and generating pain. On the 7th day of hospitalization, the number of the procedures was 388. The average intensity level of procedural pain on the 1st day of hospitalization was 4.1 points (NIPS) and 2.5 points (CRIES), while the 7th day of hospitalization was 4.0 points and 1.8 points, respectively. The highest average pain intensity was generated by venous blood sampling for diagnostic tests and peripheral vessel cannulation. Conclusions Preterm newborns with respiratory failure are exposed to a significant number of procedures and actions considered traumatic. Therefore, it is reasonable to use more than one pain assessment scale for more objective results.