Members of the Italian
Society of Neonatal and Paediatric Anaesthesia and Reanimation
are to gather in Florence on Thursday to discuss the use of
guided imagery and hypnosis to help young patients better endure
painful or uncomfortable diagnostic examinations.
"We have been using these practices for over ten years,"
said Andrea Messeri, the doctor responsible for pain therapy and
palliative care at the Meyer paediatric hospital in the Tuscan
capital.
"We use non-pharmacological pain therapy techniques ranging
from hypnosis to simple distraction to reduce trauma and pain in
procedures such as lumbar punctures, blood tests and painful
manoeuvres in all specialisations at the hospital," he
continued.
"Of course these practices are not successful in all
children but they allow for the creation of a positive and
serene atmosphere," added anaesthetist Maria Luisa Malafronte.
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