|
Part
3:
Pain Information given to all patients
Pain
Management for Adult Patients at the University of Michigan Medical
Center
Pain can have
a serious impact on your quality of life. Pain can change your mood,
cause you to lose sleep, and interfere with your daily activities.
You have a right to good pain management. It is your responsibility
to inform us about your pain in order to achieve the best results.
Our recommendations:
- Make sure
that a member of your health care team is aware of any pain you
are having. Some patients are hesitant to discuss their pain,
but we encourage you to do so.
- Tell your
health care team the following things about your pain:
- where
it is located
- how
bad it is
- what
has helped so far or in the past
- If pain medications
are prescribed for you, please:
- make
sure you know who and when to call if your pain is not well
controlled
- learn
the possible side effects of your medication
- Please ask
your health care team for more specific information about pain
and alternative methods of pain management appropriate for your
personal condition. We are committed to treating your pain.
Pain
Management for Children at the University of Michigan Medical Center
Pain can have
a serious impact on your child’s quality of life. Pain can change
your child’s mood, cause loss of sleep, and interfere with daily
activities. Your child has a right to good pain management. It is
the responsibility of you and your child to inform us about your
child’s pain in order to achieve the best results.
Our recommendations:
- Make sure
that a member of your child’s health care team is aware of any
pain your child is having. Some patients are hesitant to discuss
their pain, but we encourage you and your child to do so.
- Tell your
health care team the following things about your child’s pain:
- where
it is located
- how
bad it is
- what
has helped so far or in the past
- If pain medications
are prescribed for your child, please:
- make
sure you know who and when to call if your child’s pain
is not well controlled
- learn
the possible side effects of the medication
- Please ask
your child’s health care team for more specific information about
pain and alternative methods of pain management appropriate for
your child’s personal condition. We are committed to treating
your child’s pain.
Pain
Management Information for Infants
Pain is an uncomfortable
feeling that tells you that something may be wrong with your body.
Infants feel pain, but they cannot talk to us about that pain. They
tell us with other signals that that they are uncomfortable or in
pain.
What are
the signals that tell me that my baby is in pain?
Crying is a
signal that most babies make when they are uncomfortable. This discomfort
could be from hunger, gas, or pain. If a baby is in pain they often
show other behaviors such as:
- facial grimacing,
open mouth, deep lines around the nose and furrows in the brow
- bodily changes
such as stiffening of the arms and legs, loss in muscle tone
- inability
to sleep, restlessness or being very quiet
- inability
to be calmed with comforting or eating
- physical
symptoms such as changes in heart and breathing rate and and increases
in blood pressure.
Babies who are
premature and/or very ill may not have the energy to cry and move
when they are in pain. Your baby's caregivers will be watching very
closely for signs of pain and discomfort. You can also help by watching
to see if your baby is comfortable.
What can
be done to keep my baby as comfortable as possible?
Your baby's
nurses are very skilled in recognizing discomfort in infants and
providing comfort measures. These measures may include pain medication
(such as morphine and tylenol) or sedatives (such as ativan). To
achieve the best control over discomfort, your baby may need a combination
of these medications.
There are also
comfort measures that do not involve giving medication. These include
positioning, touching, and providing a quiet, dimly lit environment.
Soft music, giving your baby a pacifier, and swaddling or containing
the baby to avoid uncontrolled movements are also helpful. You will
be ale to provide many of these measures and help comfort your baby.
Will my baby
become addicted?
Your baby will
not become addicted to pain medications and sedatives. Addiction
is a psychological craving for drugs. If your baby needs pain medications
and sedatives for a long time, physical dependence may occur. Because
of this dependence, drugs will be decreased slowly to prevent symptoms
that may occur if the drug is withdrawn suddenly. Nurses and physicians
will watch your baby carefully for signs of drug withdrawal. Comfort
measures such as holding, rocking, and giving a pacifier can be
helpful when pain and sedation medications are being decreased.
How can I
help my baby to be as comfortable as possible?
Your baby's
caregivers will help you learn how to read your baby's signals that
tell us if he/she is uncomfortable. They can also help you learn
different comfort measures. As you spend time with your baby, you
will become familiar with his/her behaviors. You will also know
which things provide comfort. If you have questions about your baby's
pain and comfort measures, please ask your baby's nurse or physician
Additional information
about how to know when your baby is uncomfortable and how to help
them to feel better can be found in the following parent education
materials. You can obtain them by asking the nursing personnel caring
for your baby in Holden NICU.
- Hussey-Gardner,
Brenda, Understanding My Signals: Help for Parents of Premature
Infants, VORT Corporation, Palo Alto, CA, 1988.
- Kremer, Diane,
Your Loving Touch: Gentle Holds or Containment Holds, Holden Parent
Education Handout.
- VandenBurg,
Kathleen A., Reading Your Baby's Cues and State, Pro-Ed, Austin,
TX., 1993.
- Wright, Eileen,
Tips for Touching and Handling Your Baby, Holden NICU Parent Education
Handout.
References:
Infant Pain Control, Pediatric Nursing Division, University of Iowa
Hospitals and Clinics, 1994.
Linden, Dana, Paroli, Emma, and Doron, Mia, "Pain in Preemies
and Ways to Control It", Preemies: The Essential Guide to Parents
of Premature Babies, Pocket Books, 2000, pp. 109-112,
|
