Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42518957›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neurology

Pain perception and attitudes toward life-sustaining treatment in pediatric patients with disorders of consciousness: a survey of Chinese healthcare professionals.

Chunyan Yang, Meiqi Li, Yufei Xue, Fangting Wang, Wangshan Huang, Xiaochen Liu, Xiangyue Xiao, Xuhang Fan, Feng Chen, Steven Laureys and 2 more

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Article in Frontiers in neurology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Chunyan Yang *International Institute for Vegetative State and Consciousness Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Meiqi Li *Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Yufei XueInternational Institute for Vegetative State and Consciousness Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Fangting WangInternational Institute for Vegetative State and Consciousness Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Wangshan HuangInternational Institute for Vegetative State and Consciousness Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Xiaochen LiuInternational Institute for Vegetative State and Consciousness Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Xiangyue XiaoInternational Institute for Vegetative State and Consciousness Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Xuhang FanSchool of Public Health and Nursing, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Feng ChenSchool of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Steven LaureysZhejiang-Belgium Joint Laboratory for Disorders of Consciousness, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Haibo DiInternational Institute for Vegetative State and Consciousness Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Siyu DaiInternational Institute for Vegetative State and Consciousness Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Managing pain and life-sustaining treatment (LST) for pediatric patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) presents unique neuroethical dilemmas. This study investigated the attitudes of Chinese healthcare professionals (HCPs) toward pain perception and LST in pediatric DoC, specifically exploring the influence of decision-making perspectives and socioeconomic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 656 Chinese HCPs (March-November 2025). Participants evaluated LST limitation and pain perception for unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) from third-person (for a patient) and first-person (for their own child) perspectives. Multivariate logistic regression identified predictors. Results: HCPs were more supportive of limiting LST for UWS (52.1%) than MCS (31.6%) in third-person contexts ( Conclusion: Chinese HCPs are cautious about limiting LST in pediatric DoC, with attitudes shaped by diagnosis, kinship perspective, and economic context. Widespread recognition of pain perception in non-communicative children underscores a critical ethical boundary. A culturally sensitive, evidence-based decision-support framework integrating neuroplasticity, socioeconomic reality, and pain ethics is needed.

Indexed as

decision-makingdisorders of consciousnessethicshealthcare professionalslife-sustaining treatmentpainpediatric patients

Identifiers

PMID42518957
PMCPMC13381256

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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.