Examining management of pain for infants following cardiothoracic surgery

Pain management for infants continues to be inadequate despite evidence that infants do experience pain. Some health professionals fear that the risks of administering medication for pain outweigh the benefits. In caring for infants thought to be in pain, nurses often choose to administer a minimal dosage of analgesia; administer a sedative for its calming effects; or try to maximize relief by combining the analgesics and sedatives prescribed. Findings from this study indicate that the administration of analgesics and sedatives to relieve pain or calm an infant may be too conservative.