Waiting 2 minutes after sucrose administration-unnecessary?

Background Worldwide, oral sucrose is standard of care in many neonatal intensive care units to relieve procedural pain in neonates. This study aims to determine if time interval between sucrose administration and heelstick correlates with pain scores. Methods Neonates were prospectively studied with variable time intervals and assessed with the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R). Results 150 neonates were included with a median gestational age of 30+6 (IQR 27+6-33+2) weeks and a median time interval of 72 (IQR 39-115) seconds between sucrose administration and heelstick. In multiple regression analysis, this time interval was not significantly related to the PIPP-R (B=0.004, 95% CI -0.005 to 0.013, p=0.37). Providing non-nutritive sucking combined with sucrose was significantly related to lower PIPP-R scores (B=-3.50, 95% CI -4.7 to -2.3, p<0.001). Conclusions Our study suggests that there is no need to wait 2 min after sucrose administration before a painful procedure. Sucrose-induced non-nutritive sucking shows a fast pain-relieving effect in neonates

First indications for reduced mortality of non-target invertebrate benthic megafauna after pulse beam trawling

Two alternative stimulation techniques to reduce mortality in benthic megafauna were tested relative to standard tickler chain beam trawling:longitudinal electrodes (pulse trawl) and longitudinal chains. Longitudinal chains caused higher mortality than pulse trawling in 3 species. Standard trawling gave higher mortality in Echinocardium cordatum than pulse trawling. Between longitudinal chain and standard trawling were no significant differences. This trend in decreasing mortality from longitudinal, to standard and then pulse trawling was confirmed by a similar decline in: i) numbers of significant species mortalities per trawl type, ii) average mortalities, i.e. longitudinal chain caused 41% more mortality than standard trawling and pulse trawling 43% less, iii) pre- and post-trawling community dissimilarities. A significant majority of species showed higher mortalities after longitudinal than after standard trawling and, conversely, lower mortalities after pulse trawling. Trawls with longitudinal chains instead of cross tickler chains increase megafaunal impact. On the contrary, pulse trawling can reduce the impact, although average mortality remains substantial (25%) even in impoverished benthic test assemblages in the southern North Sea. Power, generally was low and reference areas, free of (pulse) trawling, and inhabited by more vulnerable taxa will facilitate higher powered studies on the impact of standard and alternative trawling techniques