Knowledge, attitude and practices among health care professionals regarding pain.
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Date
2009-09
Journal Title
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Abstract
Objective. To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices among health care professionals regarding pain in children.
Methods. This was a prospective descriptive survey conducted at a tertiary care hospital in north India. A semi structured
questionnaire regarding pain in children was administered to pediatric residents and nurses in a teaching hospital. The
questionnaire consisted of 24 items, of which 18 items were rated on a 5-point scale (‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’)
and 6 items were open-ended questions.
Results. The response rate was 89.5%. Of 77 participants, 47 (61.1%) were nurses and 30 (38.9%) were pediatric residents.
The knowledge about pain scales among the studied healthcare professionals was not widespread. Majority of respondents
believed that the best judge of intensity of pain is the child. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents felt that non-pharmacological
measures were better to control pain and also their practices showed that most were willing to allow the parental presence
during minor invasive procedures.
Conclusion. There is need to improve the knowledge of health care personnel regarding pain assessment and management in children.
Description
Keywords
Pain, Children, Health care professionals, Knowledge, Practice
Citation
Subhashini Lavanya, Vatsa Manju, Lodha Rakesh. Knowledge, attitude and practices among health care professionals regarding pain. Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 2009 Sept; 76(9): 913-916.