Effect of premedication regimen on infant pain and stress response to endotracheal intubation.

OBJECTIVE

(1) Evaluate the effect of different medications on pain and stress in neonates during nonemergent endotracheal intubation; (2) determine whether gestational age affects medication use; (3) determine whether better sedation results in a decrease in the number of attempts and/or total time for the procedure.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective observational study. Infant responses were measured using a clinical pain scale and blood glucose, a biochemical marker of acute stress.

RESULT

A total of 166 infants were included, with adjusted gestational ages 24 to 44 weeks at the time of procedure. Premedication regimens included no medication ('none,' 27%), morphine (19%), morphine+midazolam (11%), fentanyl (14%), fentanyl+midazolam (19%) and midazolam alone (10%). Fentanyl+midazolam resulted in lower pain scores and less increase in blood glucose (both P<0.0001). No other regimen was different from 'none'. The most immature infants were less likely to receive premedication (P=0.023), although their pain scores and blood glucose responses were similar to more mature infants. None of the medication regimens reduced the total procedure time (P=0.55) or the number of attempts (P=0.145).

CONCLUSION

Only fentanyl+midazolam significantly attenuated both the clinical pain score and the increase in blood glucose. Less mature infants had responses similar to those of more mature infants, but were less likely to receive premedication. None of the regimens decreased the time or number of attempts required for successful intubation.