Advances in neonatal care : official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Oral sucrose to decrease pain associated with arterial puncture in infants 30 to 36 weeks' gestation: a randomized clinical trial.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of oral sucrose solution on pain responses of neonates to arterial puncture compared with neonates who did not receive a sucrose solution. ⋯ This study found a significant reduction in the crying subscale of the Neonatal Infant Pain subscale immediately after the introduction of an arterial needle in neonates receiving a 24% sucrose solution, compared with those who did not receive sucrose solution. While prior studies found a similar reduction in pain scores after heel and venipuncture needlesticks, this is the first study evaluating a high concentration of oral sucrose to blunt the pain associated with an arterial puncture.