Comparing sucrose solution with distilled water for pain management in premature infant venipuncture: randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Managing pain is critical, especially for premature infants undergoing frequent painful procedures. Uncontrolled pain can lead to lasting harm in growth, cognitive development, and future pain responses.

METHODS

A double-blinded clinical investigation involving 150 premature infants was performed in a neonatal intensive care unit. They were randomly divided into three groups: Sucrose 20% (50 infants), distilled water (50 infants), and a control group (50 infants). The infants' behavioral responses were assessed using an infant pain measurement tool before, at 2, and 7 min after the intervention through direct observation.

RESULTS

The study revealed that mean pain scores before, 2 min after, and 7 min after the intervention in the sucrose group were (4.78±0.91), (3.18±1.15), and (2±1.02), respectively. In the distilled water group, scores were (4.66±0.89), (3.04±1.15), and (3.08±1.10), while in the control group, they were (4.0±0.79), (4.94±0.79), and (4.72±0.96). The trend of pain scores varied among the groups over time, with a significant difference in mean pain scores at different time points (<0.001). Initially comparable, pain scores notably decreased after 2 min in the sucrose and distilled water groups (<0.001), differing from the control group.

CONCLUSION

The study indicated that 20% sucrose and distilled water equally reduce infant pain post-venipuncture, suggesting their viability for clinical pain management. Distilled water, however, provides additional benefits, including economic considerations and ease of preparation.