A national survey of the assessment and treatment of pain and agitation in the neonatal intensive care unit.

A national survey was conducted to determine beliefs about neonatal pain and agitation, current methods of assessment, and standards for treatment. The results indicated a lack of consistency in both attitudes and practices among neonatal intensive care unit staff with regard to pain assessment and management in neonates. Methods for assessing the presence of pain or evaluating the effectiveness of treatment appeared inadequate for critically ill infants, particularly intubated and paralyzed infants. Agitation in neonatal intensive care unit infants was identified as a problem by a majority of the respondents surveyed. Infants with chronic lung disease were identified as being particularly affected by agitation. These infants were noted to have an increased incidence of feeding problems and were more often medicated for agitation.