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Parental attitudes toward infant pulmonary function testing
M J Hayden1, J H Wildhaber, P N LeSouëf
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth, Western Australia.
Insights
Infant pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are generally well-tolerated by infants. Most distress reported by parents is associated with sedative administration, not the PFTs themselves.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Clinical Research
- Sedation in Infants
Background:
- Infant pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are increasingly utilized in clinical and research settings.
- Accurate information on potential side effects is crucial for informed consent.
- Parental perception of infant distress during PFTs requires objective quantification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and quantify minor side effects of infant PFTs from a parental perspective.
- To differentiate parental distress related to sedative administration versus the PFT procedure itself.
- To assess infant comfort levels during and after PFTs.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to parents of 97 infants undergoing PFTs.
- Parents reported on their infant's and their own distress levels related to sedative administration and PFTs.
- Data were collected on infant comfort upon waking and subsequent sleep quality.
Main Results:
- 55% of infants experienced mild to moderate distress during sedative administration, while 94% were not distressed by the PFTs.
- Parental distress was higher concerning sedative administration (49%) than watching PFTs (27%).
- 73% of infants were untroubled upon waking, and 70% slept well afterward; 94% of parents would recommend PFTs.
Conclusions:
- The primary source of distress associated with infant PFTs is the administration of sedatives.
- Infant pulmonary function tests are generally well-tolerated by infants, with minimal distress during the procedure.
- Parental satisfaction is high, and most parents would recommend infant PFTs despite concerns about sedation.
Abstract:
Infant pulmonary function tests (PFTs) have proven increasingly popular and useful for clinical and research purposes. Informed consent requires accurate information on side effects. Our aim was to quantify minor side effects from a parental point of view by means of a questionnaire. The parents of 97 infants attending for PFTs were asked to complete a simple questionnaire. Eighty-one parents (84%) returned the questionnaire. Forty-one percent felt that their infants were not troubled by the process of administering the sedative chloral hydrate, whereas 55% suffered mild to moderate distress. In contrast, 94% of infants were not distressed by the actual PFTs. Similarly, 46% of parents were not distressed by the administration of sedative to their infant, with 49% expressing distress to a mild or moderate degree. Although 73% of parents were not distressed by watching their infants undergo the PFTs, 27% were to a mild to moderate degree. Seventy-three percent of infants were untroubled on waking. Seventy percent of infants had a good nights sleep after the PFTs. The vast majority of parents (94%) were happy to recommend that others allow their infants to undergo similar testing. We noted that most problems caused by infant PFTs relate to the administration of the sedative. Most infants awake from the tests not distressed and sleep normally the following night.