PAIN MANAGEMENT IN NEWBORNS ADMITTED TO A NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

The objective was to identify the methods used to manage neonatal pain in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This is an integrative review with a qualitative approach. As an instrument to elaborate the guiding question, the PICo strategy was used, implemented with the objective of directing the search for scientific evidence. This research had as a guiding question: What methods are used to manage pain in newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit? The collection was carried out in the MEDLINE, LILACS and BDENF databases. We preferred to search for complete works, in Portuguese and English, published between 2016 to 2021 and that addressed the objective of the work. Papers that did not address the subject of interest were excluded, as well as publications with the presence of duplicity. Among the most used pain management methods in neonatal intensive care units, the following stand out: maternal heartbeat, the smell and taste of breast milk, non-nutritive sucking, use of music, skin-to-skin contact, shantala, balneotherapy, bath immersion and administration of sucrose. It was concluded that pain assessment has become a common practice in neonatal units in order to optimize pain relief.