Effect of Sucrose Solution on Pain During Immunization in Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Bachelor of Nursing
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Background of the study:
a. What is the health issue that provides the focus of this study?
In this intervention, pain as a result of needle prick at the time of immunization is mentioned.
Pain during immunization is common in neonates and new-borns.
b. Generally, what have been the results of previous studies of this issue?
Allen et al., (1996) showed that 12 % sucrose solution can produce analgesic effect.
However, this effect was not statistically significant. Ramenghi et al., (1996) showed that
infants exhibited reduced crying time in comparison with the placebo group when
administered with sucrose solution. Reis et al., (2003) showed that sucrose didn’t exhibit
positive effect on the crying time in infants.
c. What is the significance of the study?
Sucrose solution has proven analgesic activity. In this study, sucrose was evaluated for
reducing pain during immunization in infants. In this study, effect of sucrose on pain due to
immunization was studied in infants of 16–19-month-old infants.
Overview of the research:
a. What was the aim of the research?
The aim of our study was to determine whether using 2mL of a 75 % sucrose or a 25 %
sucrose solution decreases the infant crying time and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Pain Scale (CHEOPS) scores after immunization with intramuscular diphtheria, tetanus, and
acellular pertussis(DTaP)/H influenza type b/inactive polio vaccination (IPV) (along with
oral polio vaccination(OPV)), pneumococcus and hepatitis A in 16–19-month old infants.
Aim should be mentioned separately; however, in this research article aim was mentioned in
the introduction section.
b. What research design was used?
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Randomized, placebo-controlled study design was used in this quantitative intervention.
c. Describe the main characteristics of the research design identified.
In randomised controlled trial study design, participants are being assigned to separate groups
and every group being assigned with specific intervention or treatment. Non-medicated
intervention being given to the placebo group. People participated in the RCTs are called as
subject. In this intervention, subjects enrolled were between age 16 – 19 months old. In RCTs
effects can be measured; hence these are called as quantitative intervention and these
measured effects should be compared with the standard intervention and placebo. RCTs are
simple and validated tool for conducting clinical research. In RCTs characteristics of
experiments include
quantitative, comparative and controlled experiments (Cook et al., 2015; Connolly et al.,
2017).
d. How did the research design chosen meet the aim(s) of the study?
Aim of this intervention is to evaluate efficacy of sucrose solution on crying time in infants.
Crying time can be considered as the pain sensation in infants. Pain sensation in infants can
be evaluated by counting crying time in comparison with the placebo after administration
with the sucrose solution. In RCTs quantitation and comparison need to be carried out; hence
RCT design meet aim of this study.
Sampling :
a. What were the characteristics of participants in this study?
Subjects in this study were infants in the age group between 16 – 19 months. Characteristics
of these infants include born at term, with normal birth weight, healthy and were with routine
well-child care.
b. What are the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the sample?
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