A paediatric pain assessment and management survey at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa

• Published in: South African medical journal 2022-08, Vol.112 (8), p.539-541
• Main Authors: Mabaso, L M N, Bhettay, A, Bandini, R, Demopoulos, D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Diagnosis; neonatal; Pain; Pain in children; Peadiatric; Pediatric research; population
• ISSN: 0256-9574; 2078-5135
• DOI: 10.7196/SAMJ.v112i8.16271

Background. Painful experiences are common in the paediatric inpatient population. Immaturity and cognitive impairment may preclude clear description of such experiences, and requests for analgesia when needed. Methods of pain assessment and guidelines for treatment in the paediatric population are well established, but are not widely used. Limited data suggest that the situation is similar in South Africa (SA).Objectives. To review the assessment and management of pain in SA medical paediatric inpatients. The primary objective was to determine the proportion of children who receive analgesia where indicated. The secondary objectives were to determine the prevalence of pain, at presentation and among admitted patients, whether pain evaluations were performed and pain treated, and the adequacy of such treatment.Methods. A prospective cross-sectional survey of medical paediatric inpatients at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital (RMMCH) in Johannesburg, SA, was conducted. The tool used for data collection was specifically designed for the study, with sections for demographic data, patient or caregiver interview, and chart review. Pain assessments were done using the revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability Scale and the Neonatal/Infant Pain Scale. The analysis consisted of descriptive statistics of epidemiological data and comparative statistics using grouped variables, with the level of significance set at p