A randomized control trial employing infraorbital nerve stimulation as a neural distractor during nasopharyngeal swab

With the global COVID-19 pandemic, nasopharyngeal swabbing has become commonplace and can occasionally cause discomfort, tearing, and anxiety.

To evaluate whether using a neural distraction device during nasopharyngeal swabbing can mitigate patient discomfort.

Participants were randomized into nasal swab with vibration first (treatment-control or Tc) or nasal swab without vibration first (control-treatment or Ct). Then the swab was repeated with the opposite technique. The vibration device was used to stimulate the infraorbital nerve at the midpupillary line, while a nasopharyngeal swab was performed according to CDC protocol. After each swab, participants filled out a survey to assess pain, discomfort, and tearing. This procedure was replicated on the contralateral nostril for a total of 4 swabs and 4 surveys.

Thirty-four subjects were included in the analysis. In the Ct group, there was a median 1.0-point decrease in pain with the use of vibration (95% CI [-1.8, -0.3], P = 0.0117), 2.5-point decrease (95% CI [-3.0, -0.8], P = 00039) in discomfort, and a 1.0-point decrease (95% CI [-2.6, -0.2] P = 0.0303) in tearing when the vibratory device was used. In the Tc group, there was a median 2.0-point decrease in pain with vibration (95% CI [ -2.7, -1.1], P < 0.0001), 2.3-point decrease in discomfort (95% CI [-3.1, -1.5], P < 0.0001), and a 1.5-point decrease in tearing (95% CI [-2.5, -0.5], P = 0.0037) when vibration was used.

Vibratory stimulation of the infraorbital nerve is safe and effectively reduced pain, discomfort, and tearing during nasopharyngeal swab. Vibration is a reasonable option to minimize patient discomfort during COVID-19 or other microbiological testing.