Effet analgésique de la crème Emla ®, du saccharose et de leur association pour les injections sous-cutanées chez le nouveau-né prématuré : étude prospective de 265 injections

Abstract

Objective. – To compare the analgesic effects of non nutritive pacifier sucking, oral administration of a 30% saccharose solution, local application of Emla ® and their association for subcutaneous injection of erythropoietin (EPO) in preterm infants. Methods. – Our study was a randomised, prospective study conducted over 5 months. Neonates with a gestational age below 33 weeks of gestation and older than 8 days of life were included if they were treated with EPO (three subcutaneous injections per week during 6 weeks). For each consecutive EPO injection, patients were randomised between four groups of intervention: non nutritive pacifier sucking (T), oral administration of 0.2–0.5 ml of a 30% saccharose solution with non nutritive pacifier sucking (S), local application of Emla ® with non nutritive pacifier sucking (E), and oral administration of 0.2–0.5 ml of a 30% saccharose solution with local application of Emla ® and with non nutritive pacifier sucking (S + E). Each child was its own control. Pain was assessed with the Newborn Acute Pain scale (DAN) and with the Neonatal Facial Coding System (NFCS). Results. – Thirty-three neonates were included, representing 265 injections. Distribution was: 41 in group T, 71 in group E, 86 in group S and 67 in group E + S. Mean DAN and NFCS scores were statistically different between groups T, E and S. Analgesic effect of saccharose (–1.05) was greater than Emla ® (–0.56). Used together, effects were adding up without potentialisation. Conclusion. – This study shows that the association of non nutritive pacifier sucking with oral administration of saccharose and local application of Emla ® has a better analgesic effect than each of these three interventions alone for subcutaneous injection of EPO.