Table 4.
Frequency of Symptoms and Comfort Measures as Documented in the Medical Chart
| Month prior (n = 326) n (%) | Week prior (n = 476) n (%) | McNemar test p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptoms** | |||
| Respiratory difficulty | 304 (93.3) | 461 (96.8) | 1.00a |
| Unstable vital signs | 297 (91.1) | 465 (97.7) | 0.06a |
| Pain | 258 (79.1) | 375 (78.8) | 0.045 |
| Agitation | 229 (70.2) | 335 (70.4) | 1.00 |
| Abdominal distension | 124 (38.0) | 219 (46.0) | 0.01 |
| Lethargy | 96 (29.4) | 175 (36.8) | 0.84 |
| Feeding intolerance | 77 (23.6) | 87 (18.3) | 0.63 |
| Seizures | 50 (15.3) | 86 (18.1) | 0.63 |
| Comfort measures** | |||
| Repositioning/nesting | 283 (86.8) | 437 (91.8) | 0.73a |
| Decreased sensory stimulation | 264 (81.0) | 394 (82.8) | 1.00 |
| Distractions | 174 (53.4) | 159 (33.4) | <0.001 |
| Holding/kangaroo | 142 (43.6) | 344 (72.3) | <0.001 |
| Neutral thermal environment | 115 (35.3) | 120 (25.2) | 0.22 |
| Lightweight clothing/bedding | 99 (30.4) | 80 (16.8) | 0.01 |
| Other | 121 (37.1) | 162 (34.0) | — |
Note: other comfort measures included, but were not limited to, touch, clustered care, pillow support, adjusted clothing/bedding, and promoted sleep/rest. Bolded p-values are significant.
a
Indicates exact p-values. All other values should be assumed to be asymptotic.
**
Indicates t-test p-value of <0.001.