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Reducing venipuncture pain by a cough trick: a randomized crossover volunteer study
Taras I Usichenko1, Dragan Pavlovic, Sebastian Foellner
1Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald, Germany.
Anesthesia and Analgesia
|January 27, 2004
Summary
The cough trick (CT) effectively reduces pain during peripheral venipuncture (VP). This simple technique offers pain relief for patients undergoing blood draws, though the exact mechanism requires further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pain Management
- Medical Procedures
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Peripheral venipuncture (VP) is a common medical procedure that can cause pain.
- Effective pain management strategies during VP are crucial for patient comfort and cooperation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the cough trick (CT) as a non-pharmacological method for pain relief during peripheral venipuncture (VP).
Main Methods:
- A crossover study design was employed with 20 healthy volunteers.
- Each participant underwent peripheral venipuncture twice in the same hand vein, once with the CT and once without, separated by a 3-week interval.
- Pain intensity, hand withdrawal, palm sweating, blood pressure, heart rate, and serum glucose were recorded.
Main Results:
- Pain intensity during venipuncture was significantly lower when the cough trick (CT) was applied compared to when it was not.
- Other measured variables, including hand withdrawal, palm sweating, blood pressure, heart rate, and serum glucose, showed no significant changes between the two conditions.
Conclusions:
- The easily performed cough trick (CT) is an effective method for reducing pain during peripheral venipuncture (VP).
- The precise physiological mechanism underlying the pain-reducing effect of the CT requires further elucidation.