Comparison of three preverbal scales for postoperative pain assessment in a diverse pediatric sample

The purposes of this study were to compare the reliability and validity of three pain measurement scales for assessing pain in preverbal and nonverbal children and to determine which of the scales was mos tappropriate in a clinical setting to evaluate pain for infants and young children regardless of developmental stage or cognitive or physical disability. Pain scales tested were revised versions of the Riley Infant Pain Scale (RIPS), the Nursing Assessment of Pain Intensity (NAPI), and the Postoperative Pain Score (POPS). Purposive sampling of 391 postoperative infants and children was used for evaluation of pain in a midwestern children's hospital. Four assessments with each scale were done 1 hr apart by trained observers blinded to pain medications. Data analyses supported high inter-rater reliability, satisfactory discrimination between pain and no-pain observations, and suggested acceptability for all three scales with lower caregiver burden for RIPS and NAPI.     

Families and genetics: Bridging the gap between knowledge and practice

The Human Genome Project (HGP) and news of genetic breakthroughs are pervasive to most of our lives today. Yet how many of us have had formal education in genetics? When and how do we integrate this knowledge into our clinical practice? This article discusses the relevance of genetics to newborn and infant nursing practice and how new genetic knowledge affects patients and their families. Approaches to educating clinicians about genetics within the context of the family are described, as newborn and infant nurses emphasize the family in their daily work and frequently work with children and families with genetic diagnoses. Education and research from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing are used as examples to describe the integration of genetics into the practice of nurses caring for newborns, infants, and their families. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.     

Pacifier Use: A Systematic Review of Selected Parenting Web Sites

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe content related to pacifier use on parenting Web sites. METHODS: Sixteen parenting Web sites met the inclusion criteria of the study. Two checklists were used to evaluate and describe different aspects of the Web sites. The first checklist provided a quality assessment of the Web sites. The second checklist was constructed to identify content categories of pacifier use. RESULTS: The majority of sites met quality assessment criteria. Eleven content categories regarding pacifier use were identified. Nine of the 16 sites contained eight or more of the 11 content areas. The most common types of Web pages containing pacifier information included pacifier specific (articles), questions and answer pages, and related content pages. DISCUSSION: Most of the parenting Web sites met the quality measures for online information. The content categories reflected the current controversies and information regarding pacifier use found in the expert literature. The findings of this study suggest the need to establish pacifier recommendations in the United States to guide parents and health care providers with decision making.