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Pain and distress management in palliative neonatal care

Lars Garten1, Christoph Bührer1

  • 1Department of Neonatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine
|May 7, 2019
PubMed

Insights

This review summarizes pain and distress management in palliative neonatal care. It covers non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods, with recommendations for compassionate extubation and withdrawing artificial nutrition and hydration.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Palliative Care
  • Pain Management

Background:

  • Palliative care aims to alleviate suffering by managing disease symptoms.
  • Pain and distress management are crucial components of palliative care.
  • Neonatal palliative care requires specialized approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review non-pharmacological and pharmacological pain and distress management strategies in neonatal palliative care.
  • To provide recommendations for specific neonatal palliative care scenarios.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review of non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions.
  • Synthesis of evidence for pain and distress management in neonates.
  • Development of recommendations for clinical practice.

Main Results:

  • Comprehensive summary of available non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures.
  • Guidance on managing pain and distress during compassionate extubation.
  • Recommendations for ethical and effective withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration.

Conclusions:

  • Effective pain and distress management is essential in neonatal palliative care.
  • Specific strategies are needed for complex end-of-life situations in neonates.
  • This review offers a framework for improving palliative care in neonatal settings.

Keywords:
AnalgesiaEnd-of-life careLife-limitingNeonatal comfort careNewbornSymptom control

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