Neonatology

Prof. Richard Sindelar MD.PhD, Neonatolgist, Academic University hospital, Uppsala:

“Skin Conductance Algesimeter (SCA) is a method to assess stress and pain, and has a potential advantage of being an objective and continuous pain/stress monitoring device, especially in patients that cannot communicate their level of pain or stress, especially in an environment of intensive care, both in adults and children. To assess pain is especially important in newborn term and preterm infants where neglecting stressful events and procedures has been shown to have long term effects on neurodevelopment with increased morbidity and in some instances even mortality. All efforts should be made to reduce pain and stress in these patients, and assessing objectively the different procedures that can be painful or stressful for these patients gives the possibility to evaluate different medical and non-medical treatments. SCA has the potential to be applied continuously in all neonatal intensive care units in the same fashion as other monitoring such as oxygen saturation and ECG, supplying daily information as to the well-being of these the most vulnerable patients.”

Phone: +46 18-611 96 27
Email: richard.sindelar@kbh.uu.se