Procedural Pain in Hospitalized Children in a Chinese Children's Hospital.

Background: Pain prevalence in pediatric hospitals has been investigated in many developed countries, but little is known about this topic in China.

Aims: This study sought to describe the frequency and pain intensity of procedures for medical care in hospitalized children in a Chinese children's hospital.

Design: A cross-sectional study was designed to include interviews with children, their parents and the nurses.

Settings: This survey was administered in a teaching hospital in southeast China.

Participants/subjects: Infants and children up to 16 years old who were admitted to the study units for more than 6 days were eligible for inclusion.

Methods: Information regarding patient demographics, painful procedures and pain management strategies was obtained during the day shifts of the children's hospitalization.

Results: A total of 3886 procedures were performed on 342 children during the data collection period. The reuse of intravenous indwelling needles ( n = 577), removal of tape from the skin (n = 420) and venipuncture on the back of the hand ( n = 401) were the most frequently performed procedures on children. A total of 1941 procedures, accounting for 49.9% (1941/3886) of painful procedures caused moderate to severe pain (pain score ≥4.0). However, only 25.3% (984/3886) received a valid pain assessment, and only 14.4% (560/3886) received pain interventions.

Conclusions: Most children, especially those who are younger (<4 years old), experienced moderate or severe pain during their hospitalization, but did not receive appropriate interventions.