Objective: To evaluate the pain or physiological stress caused during minimally invasive surfactant therapy (MIST) to very preterm neonates.
Methods: In this prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary NICU, very preterm neonates were assessed for pain using Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R) score before, during and after MIST. Changes in the heart rate and oxygen saturation were also recorded during the procedure.
Results: 23 neonates who received MIST were assessed for pain using PIPP-R. Mean (SD) PIPP-R score during MIST was 3.87(1.3), before; 12.83 (1.9), during; and 6.26 (1.0), after the procedure, respectively (all P<0.001). Heart rate and oxygen saturation were also significantly reduced during MIST (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The high PIPP-R scores during surfactant administration suggest that MIST can cause moderate to severe pain/discomfort and significant physiological stress in very preterm infants.