Comparison of cold spray and shotblocker to reduce intramuscular injection pain: A randomized controlled trial

It is important to identify effective, easy-to-use and cost-effective non-pharmacological methods in the management of pain caused by medical interventions. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of cold spray and ShotBlocker on pain in adults in reducing pain caused by intramuscular injection in the adult emergency department.

This is a randomized controlled trial with two experimental groups, two placebo groups and a control group. The study was conducted on 195 adults who received diclofenac sodium injections. In the study, the injection procedure was performed by following the same injection protocol in all five groups. In the injection process, cold spray or ShotBlocker was used in the intervention groups based on the group, and cold spray with distilled water or the smooth surface of the ShotBlocker was used in the placebo groups. Following the injection, the pain caused by the injection was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale.

The study was completed with the remaining 195 patients. In the study, the average pain scores due to injection of the individuals in the cold spray group were lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the pain score averages due to injection of the individuals in the ShotBlocker group and cold spray, control, ShotBlocker placebo and cold spray placebo groups.

The routine use of a fast-acting, cost-effective and easy-to-use method, cold spray, to reduce pain in the intramuscular injection will be beneficial in increasing patient satisfaction and quality of care.