PREMATURE-INFANT PAIN PROFILE - DEVELOPMENT AND INITIAL VALIDATION

Objective: Inadequate assessment of pain in premature infants is a per sistent clinical problem. The objective of this research was to develo p and validate a measure for assessing pain in premature infants that could be used by both clinicians and researchers. Design: The Prematur e Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) was developed and validated using a prosp ective and retrospective design. Indicators of pain were identified fr om clinical experts and the literature. Indicators were retrospectivel y tested using four existing data sets. Patients and Settings: Infants of varying gestational ages undergoing different painful procedures f rom three different settings were utilized to develop and validate the measure. Methods and Results: The largest data set (n = 124) was used to develop the PIPP. The development process included determining the factor structure of the data, developing indicators and indicator sca les and establishing internal consistency. The remaining three data se ts were utilized to establish beginning construct validity. Conclusion s: The PIPP is a newly developed pain assessment measure for premature infants with beginning content and construct validity. The practicali ty and feasibility for using the PIPP in clinical practice will be det ermined in prospective research in the clinical setting.