Authors

Josep-Oriol Casanovas-Marsal1, Edgar Batista-de-Frutos2, Antoni Martínez-Balleste3, Montserrat García-Martínez4

Position

1Doctor. Departamento de Enfermería. Campus Terres de l’Ebre. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Tortosa (Tarragona)2Ingeniero informático. Smart Technologies Research Group. Departamento de Ingeniería Informática y Matemáticas. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Tarragona 3Doctor. Smart Technologies Research Group. Departamento de Ingeniería Informática y Matemáticas. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Pere Virgili. Tarragona 4Doctora. Departamento de Enfermería. Campus Terres de l’Ebre. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Tortosa (Tarragona)

Contact address

Josep-Oriol Casanovas-Marsal. Departamento de Enfermería. Campus Terres de l’Ebre. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Avda. Remolins, 13-15. 43180 Tortosa

Contact email: josep.oriol.casanovas@gmail.com

Abstract

Objective: to test the connectivity of the APANICU 1.0 (Automatic Pain Assessment in Neonatal Intensive Care Units) prototype and the software used in the unit to assess pain in newborns, and to determine the consistency in pain assessment when using APANICU 1.0 vs. validated scales.
Method: pilot test of the prototype (APANICU) that combines and analyzes behavioral and physiological parameters of the newborn, obtains data from the vital signs monitor, and records the activity of the baby with camera and microphone, calculating a pain figure in real time. The study was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital Universitario Joan XXIII (Tarragona). Two observers (A and B) assessed the pain of the newborn using the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) and Susan Givens Bell (SGB) scales, simultaneously with APANICU data dump. Consistency between observers was assessed through the coefficient of intra-class correlation, and consistency between instruments through the Spearman’s Rho coefficient of correlation.
Results: eleven (11) newborns, with mean gestational age (SD): 32 (7.23) weeks. The coefficient of intra-class correlation (CI 95%) between A and B with PIPP was 0.516 (- 0.800; 0.870): and 0.079 (- 2.422; 0.752) with SGB. The Spearman’s Coefficient of Correlation between PIPP (A) and APANICU was -0.144 (p= 0.67); between SGB (A) and APANICU: 0.115 (p= 0.74); between PIPP (B) and APANICU: 0.435 (p= 0.18), and between SGB (B) and APANICU: 0.077 (p= 0.82).
Conclusion: APANICU 1.0 issues a pain figure, but it needs improvement, because the values obtained were not adequately correlated. The proposal is to improve the software by creating a 2.0 version.

Keywords:

Pain assessment; pain; newborn; automatic system; neonatal critical care

Versión en Español

Título:

APANICU 1.0: sistema automático para la valoración del dolor en las unidades de cuidados intensivos neonatales