| Abstract: | Infant pain assessment and management are complex processes. Although infants are able to communicate distress, interpretation of their signals is difficult. We now understand infant pain perception and the resulting adverse sequelae of uncontrolled pain. We know infants do feel pain and suffer adverse long-term outcomes resulting from early exposure to repetitive, unrelieved pain. Infants perceive pain more intensely than adults. The developing brain is extremely vulnerable to environmental influences; repeated painful situations and stress can alter its development. Infant pain interventions are more important than ever realized. Interventions include pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods. Pharmacologic interventions include opioids, weak opioids, acetaminophen, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Nonpharmacologic interventions in conjuction with pharmacologic strategies are preferred pain treatments. To determine the best pain intervention, evaluation of infant pain requires both physiologic and behavioral criteria. Pain assessment tools for the older infants are presented. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company |
