Abstract
Aim The routine administration of morphine to sedate premature ventilated infants is not recommended by professional organisations such as NICE. However, the routine use of morphine persists due to perceived pain and a lack of awareness of non-pharmacological pain management. Additionally, morphine is associated with risks such as IVH, prolonged ventilation, and low blood pressure. As part of a quality improvement initiative, we surveyed staff in our unit and the Northwest Neonatal Operation Delivery Network (NWNODN). This study aims to compare perceptions regarding the use of morphine in ventilated premature infants between our unit and the rest of the network.
Material and Method An email survey was distributed to all staff in our neonatal unit from July 15th to August 5th, 2022. The same survey, with minor adjustments to accommodate the network’s diversity, was sent to the Northwest Neonatal Operation Delivery Network (NWNODN). The survey was disseminated via the weekly Network bulletin, and responses were collected between October 6th and November 14th, 2022. Descriptive and thematic analyses were employed to analyze the results.
Results There were 32 and 42 respondents from our unit and the NWNODN, respectively. The majority of respondents were Registered Nurses (RN) (APH 50%, NWNODN 45%) and were from level 3 tertiary units (64%). Perceptions regarding morphine and pain management in ventilated premature infants were similar between APH and NWNODN (table 1). More than half of the respondents believed that ventilated premature infants require morphine during ventilation (APH 56%, NWNODN 64%). The most frequently used words by APH staff were ‘Babies,’ ‘need,’ and ‘morphine,’ while the NWNODN staff most commonly used ‘Pain,’ ‘babies,’ and ‘morphine’ see figure 1.
Conclusions There were no differences in the perception of pain and the use of morphine in ventilated premature infants between APH and the network. However, this survey identified a knowledge gap and attitude toward pain management in ventilated premature infants.