Abstract
An improved abstinence scoring system (ASS) aimed at improving the accuracy of clinical assessment of the infant of the drug dependent mother has been developed. Nurses administer the clinical tool used for monitoring the progression and diminution of symptomatology, effectiveness of various medical and nursing therapeutic approaches, and to ascertain whether or not pharmacologic intervention is necessary for detoxification. If therapy is initiated, the ASS is further used as a guide to titrate subsequent dosage levels to effectively control the withdrawing infant and determine when treatment should be discontinued. A study was conducted to ascertain whether the abstinence scores (AS) obtained by the nurses were reliable indices of the infants' symptoms. The results revealed that many infants were inaccurately scored, therefore managed inappropriately according to established protocol. To improve the accuracy of AS reported by the nurses with consequent improvement in the quality of total clinical management, the ASS developed by Finnegan, L. et al. was revised and an expanded protocol for clinical management of the infant undergoing abstinence has been developed. The revised scoring system categorizes abstinence symptoms by the organ systems disturbed. Furthermore, the new approach defines more precisely both the quantitative and qualitative infant behaviors being assessed. Supported by NIDA Grant #DA01807 and Commonwealth of Pa. Contract #1674.
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Macnew, B., Leonard, V., Finnegan, L. et al. 58 A NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SCORING SYSTEM: RESULTS OF AN INTERSCORER RELIABILITY STUDY. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 373 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00063
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00063
