Perception of Pain in the Catheter Angiography Laboratory Among Children with Congenital Heart Disease

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Pain Management
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Cardiac catheterization is a common procedure for pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.
• Assessing and managing procedural pain in children is crucial for their well-being.
• Current pain management strategies may not fully alleviate discomfort during cardiac catheterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate pain levels experienced by pediatric patients during routine cardiac catheterization procedures.
• To identify factors influencing pain perception during and after catheterization.
• To explore methods for improving patient comfort during cardiac catheterization.

Main Methods:

• The study included 24 pediatric patients with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac catheterization.
• Pain perception was measured using skin conductance activity at four time points: pre-procedure, during local anesthesia, during femoral intervention, and post-procedure.
• Maternal presence was included at pre- and post-procedure assessments.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in pain levels were observed at various procedural stages (T0, T1, T2).
• No significant correlation was found between midazolam dosage and pain perception.
• A significant association was identified between ketamine dosage and pain levels post-procedure (T3), particularly with maternal presence.

Conclusions:

• Discomfort can occur during cardiac catheterization even with local anesthetic and procedural sedation.
• Understanding pain levels is essential for effective sedation planning in pediatric procedures.
• Improved pain management strategies are needed to enhance patient comfort during cardiac catheterization.