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Reducing Pain and Fear in Children During Venipuncture: A Randomized Controlled Study
Burcu Aykanat Girgin1, İlknur Göl2
1Sağlık Bilimleri University, Hamidiye Nursing Faculty, İstanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Simple methods like balloon inflation, ball squeezing, and coughing effectively reduce pain and fear in children during venous blood sampling. These techniques offer a practical approach for healthcare providers to improve pediatric patient comfort.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Pain Management
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Venous blood sampling is a frequent hospital procedure causing significant pain and distress in children.
- Effective pain and fear management strategies are crucial for pediatric venipuncture.
- Current methods may not adequately address the psychological and physical discomfort experienced by pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of balloon inflation, ball squeezing, and coughing techniques in mitigating pain and fear during pediatric venipuncture.
- To evaluate these methods as potential interventions for improving the venipuncture experience in children aged 7-12 years.
- To provide evidence-based, practical strategies for nurses to reduce procedural pain and anxiety in children.
Main Methods:
- An experimental, randomized controlled study was conducted with 120 children aged 7-12 years undergoing venous blood sampling.
- Participants were allocated to four groups: balloon inflation, ball squeezing, coughing, or a control group (30 children per group).
- Pain and fear levels were assessed pre- and post-procedure using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and Children's Fear Scale, with ratings from children, parents, and researchers.
Main Results:
- All intervention groups (balloon inflation, ball squeezing, coughing) demonstrated significantly lower mean pain and fear scores compared to the control group (p=.001).
- No statistically significant differences in pain or fear reduction were observed among the three intervention methods.
- The coughing group exhibited the lowest reported pain and fear scores, suggesting a potential slight advantage.
Conclusions:
- Balloon inflation, ball squeezing, and coughing are effective, simple, rapid, and cost-efficient methods for reducing venipuncture-associated pain and fear in children aged 7-12 years.
- These techniques require minimal equipment and preparation, making them easily implementable by nurses in clinical settings.
- The study supports the integration of these non-pharmacological interventions into routine pediatric phlebotomy procedures to enhance patient comfort and reduce distress.
Background:
Venous blood sampling is a common procedure in the hospital setting and cause significant pain and stress for children.
Aim:
This study was conducted to determine and compare the effects of balloon inflation, ball squeezing, and coughing methods on levels of pain and fear during venipuncture in children aged 7-12 years.
Design:
Experimental, randomized controlled study.
Setting:
The study was conducted at a state hospital in Turkey between March and July 2017.
Participants/Subjects:
The study population comprised children 7-12 years of age who were subjected to venous blood sampling in the phlebotomy unit of a state hospital. The study sample included 120 children for a confidence interval of 95% and statistical power of 80%.
Methods:
The children were assigned to one of four groups (balloon inflation, ball squeezing, coughing, and control groups), each including 30 participants. The children's pain and fear were rated before and after the procedure by the children themselves, their parents, and a researcher using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and Children's Fear Scale, respectively.
Results:
Mean scores for pain and fear after the procedure were lower in all intervention groups compared with the control group (p = .001). There was no statistical difference in pain or fear scores between the intervention groups; however, the children in the coughing group had the lowest scores for both pain and fear.
Conclusion:
Balloon inflation, ball squeezing, and coughing were all effective in reducing pain and fear associated with venipuncture in children aged 7-12 years. These are simple, rapid, and cost-effective methods that nurses can implement during venipuncture with minimal equipment and preparation.
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