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An everyday phrase may harm your patients: the influence of negative words on pain during venous blood sampling

Johannes Ott1, Stefanie Aust, Kazem Nouri

  • 1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

The Clinical Journal of Pain
|October 18, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Warning patients with the word "sting" before venous blood sampling significantly increases their pain perception. Using less alarming words like "beware" can reduce this unnecessary discomfort, improving the patient experience during this common procedure.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Procedures
  • Pain Perception Research
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Venous blood sampling is a frequent diagnostic procedure.
  • Negative language can heighten pain perception and cause adverse reactions.
  • Pre-procedure warnings may inadvertently increase patient discomfort.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if common warnings during venous blood sampling influence pain perception.
  • To determine if specific words like "sting" or "beware" affect pain levels.
  • To assess methods for reducing unnecessary pain during blood draws.

Main Methods:

  • 100 healthy participants were randomized into two groups: "sting" or "beware" warning.
  • Participants received a warning immediately before needle insertion for venous blood sampling.
  • Pain scores, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured before and after the procedure.

Main Results:

  • 98 participants completed the study.
  • The "sting" group reported significantly higher pain scores (2.7 ± 1.2) compared to the "beware" group (1.9 ± 1.1).
  • The difference in pain perception was statistically significant (P=0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Words associated with pain exacerbate the pain experienced during venous blood sampling.
  • Avoiding negative or alarming language in pre-procedure warnings can minimize unnecessary patient pain.
  • Simple linguistic adjustments can enhance patient comfort during routine medical procedures.
Abstract

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