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Effects of two different ball types on pain and anxiety during venous blood draw in children: A randomized controlled
Zeynep Yurdakul1, Figen Işık Esenay2
1Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Education Unit, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Halil Sezai Erkut Cd. No:5, Yenimahalle, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
The spiky ball method effectively reduces pain and anxiety in children during blood draws. This tactile stimulation technique offers a better alternative to standard care for pediatric procedural pain management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare
- Pain management
- Child psychology
Background:
- Venous blood draws are a common source of pain and stress for children in hospital settings.
- Effective pain and anxiety management strategies are crucial for pediatric patients undergoing procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effects of tactile stimulation and active distraction on pain and anxiety in children during venous blood draws.
- To evaluate the efficacy of different tactile methods, specifically spiky and round balls, in managing procedural pain.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial with a parallel design compared four intervention groups to a control group.
- Children's anxiety was assessed using the Children's Fear Scale, and perceived pain using the Wong Baker Pain Scale.
- Both child and observer evaluations were used to measure outcomes.
Main Results:
- Intervention groups reported lower pain levels than the control group.
- The spiky ball tactile stimulation method resulted in lower perceived pain compared to the round ball method.
- Anxiety levels significantly decreased from pre-procedure to during the procedure in all intervention groups, with a positive correlation between pain and anxiety.
Conclusions:
- The spiky ball tactile stimulation is an effective method for reducing perceived pain and anxiety in children during venous blood draws.
- This finding supports the integration of specific tactile interventions in pediatric procedural care.
- Healthcare providers can utilize the spiky ball method to improve the experience of children undergoing blood draws.
Background:
Children presenting to hospitals for healthcare are often exposed to venous blood draw procedures which cause significant pain and stress for children.
Objectives:
Tactile stimulation and active distraction methods can be used during procedural pain management in children. This study was conducted to determine and compare the effects of tactile stimulation and active distraction methods on levels of pain and anxiety during venous blood draw procedure in children.
Methods:
A randomized controlled study design was adopted with a parallel trial design to compare four different intervention groups with a control group. The children's anxiety levels were evaluated using the Children's Fear Scale, and their perceived pain levels were evaluated using the Wong Baker Pain Scale.
Results:
The results of the child and observer evaluations revealed the perceived level of pain during the procedure to be lower in the intervention groups than in the control group, and lower in the spiky ball groups than in the round ball groups. The level of anxiety during the procedure was found to be significantly lower than that recorded prior to the procedure, based on the self-evaluation of the child and the evaluation of the observer in the intervention groups. A positive correlation was found between pain and anxiety levels during the procedure.
Practice Implications:
The results of this study support the effectiveness of the spiky ball method to reduce perceived pain and anxiety in children during venous blood draw procedures in the pediatric blood draw units.
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