Abstract

GUINSBURG, Ruth. Art and science in the neonatal ICU: Evaluation and treatment of pain. Rev. bras. psicanál [online]. 2011, vol.45, n.4, pp. 109-116. ISSN 0486-641X.

Several studies show that newborn infants admitted to intensive care units receive 50-150 potentially painful procedures each day. Painful impulses occur in multiple organs and systems, leading to increased rates of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and are likely to transform the nature of pain experience and expression later on, during infancy and adulthood. Despite these facts, procedural pain relief during neonatal care is still rare. The lack of adequate neonatal pain treatment seems to be largely associated to difficulties in diagnosing pain in patients who are yet unable to verbalize it. However, neonates have a characteristic and specific way of responding to painful stimuli, and the ability of adult caretakers to recognize this "language" is essential for an adequate evaluation of the nociceptive phenomenon and the application of an effective treatment for it.

Keywords : newborn infant; pain; neonatal intensive care unit.

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