Sucrose analgesia: identifying potentially better practices

The objectives of this study were to review the use of oral sucrose for procedural pain management in NICUs, develop potentially better practice guidelines that are based on the best current evidence, and provide ideas for the implementation of these potentially better practices.

A collaboration of 12 centers of the Vermont Oxford Network worked together to review the strength of the evidence, clinical indications, dosage, administration, and contraindications and identify potential adverse effects for the use of sucrose analgesia as the basis of potentially better practices for sucrose analgesia guidelines. Several units implemented the guidelines.

Through reviews and inputs from all centers of the evidence, consensus was reached and guidelines that included indication, dosage per painful procedure, age-related dosage over 24 hours, method of delivery, and contraindications were developed.

Guidelines now are available from a consensus group, and suggestions for implementation of guidelines, based on implementation of other pain management strategies, were developed.