Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35426458›Full record

ArticlePaediatric anaesthesia2022

The association of severe pain experienced in the pediatric intensive care unit and postdischarge health-related quality of life: A retrospective cohort study.

Mallory B Smith, Elizabeth Y Killien, Leslie A Dervan, Frederick P Rivara, Noel S Weiss, Robert Scott Watson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Paediatric anaesthesia, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Regional scalp block for post-craniotomy pain management in children: a scoping review.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2025
    Article
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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

6 authors.

Mallory B SmithDivision of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9332-0123
Elizabeth Y KillienDivision of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Leslie A DervanDivision of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4521-354X
Frederick P RivaraHarborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Noel S WeissDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Robert Scott WatsonDivision of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Funding

Pediatric Injury Research Training ProgramT32HD057822 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI CAROLYN A MC CARTY, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar · 2010 to 2026
$4.0M
Clinical factors associated with long-term recovery following pediatric critical illness and injuryK23HD100566 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI KILLIEN, ELIZABETH Y · 2021 to 2025
$792k
NICHD NIH HHS K23 HD100566NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD057822
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPain may be a modifiable risk factor for lower health-related quality of life after pediatric critical illness.

aimTo evaluate the association between severe pain experienced in the (pediatrc intensive care unit) and postdischarge health-related quality of life.

methodsThis was a retrospective cohort study. Children aged 1 month to 18 years admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit and enrolled in the Seattle Children's Hospital Outcomes Assessment Program were included. Pain was assessed every 2 h by bedside nursing staff using a behavioral pain scale or numeric pain scale. A day of severe pain was defined as a pediatric intensive care unit day with ≥25% of pain scores ≥7/10. Baseline (preadmission) and postdischarge (median 6 weeks) health-related quality of life was assessed by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) or the Stein Jessop Functional Status II-R (FS II-R, for children with developmental disability). The cohort was stratified by diagnosis category (surgical vs. medical), and associations were measured using linear regression models.

resultsAmong 546 patients, 11.9% experienced ≥1 day of severe pain. In multivariable linear regression, each day of severe pain was independently associated with a lower postdischarge health-related quality of life score by 3.6 points (95% CI -6.3 to -0.9) adjusted for baseline health-related quality of life score, age, baseline cognitive function, days with multi-organ dysfunction, pediatric intensive care unit length of stay, and decline in overall function. This association was stronger among surgical patients than medical patients with each day of severe pain resulting in a lower postdischarge health-related quality of life score by 5.3 points (95% CI -9.6 to -0.9) versus 2.6 points (95% CI -5.8 to 0.6). Surgical patients had lower postdischarge emotional functioning than physical functioning subdomain scores.

conclusionsChildren who experience severe pain in the pediatric intensive care unit have lower postdischarge health-related quality of life adjusting for baseline health-related quality of life, particularly among children who have undergone surgery. Attention to pain management may be important to improve postdischarge health-related quality of life.

Indexed as

AftercareQuality of LifeChildCohort StudiesHumansIntensive Care Units, PediatricPainPatient DischargeRetrospective Studiescritical care outcomeshealth-related quality of lifeintensive care unitspainpediatric

Identifiers

PMID35426458
PMCPMC9990726

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