Marceau described a pain assessment tool (NNICUPAT) for infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This can help guide pain interventions in this preverbal population. The author is from The Nepean Hospital in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Patient selection: mechanically ventilated neonate in the NICU
Parameters:
(1) facial expression
(2) body movements
(3) color
(4) oxygen saturation
(5) respirations
(6) heart rate
(7) nurse perceives pain
NOTE: The point assignments differ between Tables 1 and 2. The values shown are those from Table 1, which match the text.
|
Parameter |
Finding |
Points |
|
facial expression |
normal, relaxed |
0 |
|
|
anxious |
1 |
|
|
anguished |
2 |
|
|
inert |
3 |
|
body movements |
normal, relaxed |
0 |
|
|
anxious |
1 |
|
|
anguished |
2 |
|
|
inert |
3 |
|
color |
normal |
0 |
|
|
red or congested |
2 |
|
|
pale or gray/ashen, mottled |
3 |
|
oxygen saturation |
normal |
0 |
|
|
desaturated |
2 |
|
respiration |
normal |
0 |
|
|
tachypnea |
1 |
|
heart rate |
normal |
0 |
|
|
tachycardia |
1 |
|
|
fluctuating heart rate |
2 |
|
nurse perceives pain |
no |
0 |
|
|
yes |
2 |
where:
• Anxious facial expression: lips pursed or parted; frowning; narrowed eyes
• Anguished facial expression: brow bulging; eye squeeze; marked nas0labial furrow
• Inert facial expression: gaze avoidance; no response to traumatic procedure
• Anxious body movements: uncoordinated, jerky movements
• Anguished body movements: thrashing limbs; arching of back
• Inert body movements: limp or rigid; no response to traumatic procedures
total score =
= SUM(points for all 7 parameters)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 16
• The higher the score the greater the pain experience.
Specialty: Pedatrics
ICD-10: ,
