A scoping review of pain resulting from the endotracheal suctioning of paediatric intensive care patients

Abstract

Background: This scoping review was conducted to summarise and map studies on pain resulting from endotracheal suctioning in paediatric intensive care patients. Method: This scoping review conducted in June 2022 was performed by screening articles published in English. Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, MedLine and Ovid databases were used for screening. The keywords ‘endotracheal suctioning’, ‘pain’, ‘paediatric intensive care’ and their synonyms were used in the search. Results: During the review, 280 articles were accessed, and the full texts of 14 articles were evaluated for suitability. After some of the articles were excluded from the study, abstracts of nine articles were given below. Conclusion: It is recommended that a greater number of randomised controlled studies should be conducted, because the number of studies with a high level of evidence on the effect of endotracheal suctioning on the pain levels of patients in the paediatric intensive care unit is very few.