Position To Improve Comfort for Pediatric patients

Children do feel pain!

 

 

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When Children have medical procedures done, there are many things we can do to make it easier and manage pain.  Very easy techniques, the one  we will be reviewing is position of comfort.

Position of Comfort

One of the most stressful times during a child's hospitalization is the needle poke or painful procedure (IVAD access, blood drawn), it causes children of any age to experience pain and anxiety.  As health care professionals we have a responsibility to our patients and families to offer all tools available to make the experience a more positive one.  One of the tools you can use it position of comfort, it is a position with physical contact allows a child some control and is comforting.  Staff can be easily trained in positioning children to support safe procedures and to help keep children comfortable and calm in their parents arms.

Goals of Comfort Positioning

• Successfully immobilizes extremity for procedure
• Offers secure, comforting hugging hold for child
• Comfort through close contact with the parent or caregiver
• Parent or caregiver participates in positive assistance, not negative restraining
• Sitting position promotes sense of control
• Fewer people are needed to complete procedure

When done correctly positioning of comfort requires less staff, takes less time, and is much less stressful for the child than laying flat.

references

American Academy of Pediatrics.  The assessment and management of acute pain in infants, children, and adolescents.  
Pediatrics 2001; 108(3) 793-797.

Heden L., VonEssen L. & Ljungman G. (2009). Randomized interventions for needle procedures in children with cancer. European Journal of Cancer care, 18, 358-363.

 

McCarthy.A.M., Hanrahan, K., Zimmerman, B. M., Westhus, N., Allen S. (2010). Imapact of Parent-Provided Distraction on Children Responses to an IV Insertion. Children’s Health Care, 39, 125-141.

 

McMurtry, C., Chambers, C.T., McGrath, P.J. (2011). Children’s Fear during Procedural Pain:  Preliminary Investigation of the Children’s fear Scale. Health Psychology, 30, 780-788.