Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28558384›Full record

Trial reportNeonatology2017

Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Different Single Doses of Intravenous Paracetamol for Placement of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters in Preterm Infants.

Daniella W E Roofthooft, Sinno H P Simons, Richard A van Lingen, Dick Tibboel, John N van den Anker, Irwin K H Reiss, Monique van Dijk

Open access · hybridAbstract readComparative StudyMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Neonatology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
4.5field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Sucrose analgesia for venepuncture in neonates.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Sucrose analgesia for heel-lance procedures in neonates.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Safety of fentanyl for peripherally inserted central catheter in non-intubated infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2018
    Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Daniella W E RoofthooftDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Sinno H P Simons
Richard A van Lingen
Dick Tibboel
John N van den Anker
Irwin K H Reiss
Monique van Dijk
Erasmus MC - Sophia Children’s Hospital · NLPediatrics and Genetics · USAmalia Kinderziekenhuis · NLChildren's National · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe availability of a safe and effective pharmacological therapy to reduce procedural pain in preterm infants is limited. The effective analgesic single dose of intravenous paracetamol in preterm infants is unknown. Comparative studies on efficacy of different paracetamol doses in preterm infants are lacking.

objectivesTo determine the analgesic effects of different single intravenous paracetamol doses on pain from peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement in preterm infants.

methodsIn a blinded randomized controlled trial, the analgesic effects of 10-, 15-, and 20-mg/kg single-dose intravenous paracetamol before PICC placement were compared in neonates with a gestational age <32 weeks. Secondly, a separate age-matched nonrandomized control group receiving oral sucrose was included. Pain was assessed with the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) and the COMFORTneo score. Peak plasma concentrations of paracetamol were determined.

resultsA total of 60 patients were included in the paracetamol dose groups (median gestational age = 27.8, IQR: 25.7-29.2 weeks). PIPP scores were comparable: median = 8 (IQR: 6-10.5), 7 (IQR: 6-9), and 8 (IQR: 6-10) for the 10-, 15-, and 20-mg/kg paracetamol groups, respectively (p = 0.94). COMFORTneo scores were not statistically different between the different paracetamol dose groups (p = 0.35). All randomized subjects, except for 3 who received 10 mg/kg of paracetamol, had peak paracetamol concentrations >9 mg/L. PIPP (p = 0.78) and COMFORTneo (p = 0.08) scores were also comparable between paracetamol- and sucrose-treated patients.

conclusionsWe found no analgesic benefit from intravenous paracetamol studied in different single doses over sucrose for PICC placement in preterm infants. Paracetamol is not a suitable analgesic for this procedure in preterm infants.

Indexed as

Infant, PrematureAcetaminophenAdministration, IntravenousAnalgesics, Non-NarcoticCatheterization, Central VenousCatheterization, PeripheralCatheters, IndwellingCentral Venous CathetersFemaleGestational AgeHumansMaleNetherlandsPainPain MeasurementTime FactorsAcetaminophenAnalgesics, Non-NarcoticAnalgesiaCentral lineParacetamolPremature Infant Pain ProfilePreterm infantsProcedural pain

Identifiers

PMID28558384
PMCPMC5637290
OpenAlexW2619630344

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.