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TENS for children's procedural pain
Janice Lander1, Susan Fowler-Kerry
1Clinical Sciences (3-106), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3 Canada.
Insights
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) effectively reduced pain in children during venipuncture. This non-invasive pain management technique showed better results than placebo or no treatment, especially for younger children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pain Management
- Neuromodulation Therapies
- Evidence-Based Practice
Background:
- Venipuncture is a common and often painful procedure for children.
- Effective pain management strategies are crucial for pediatric procedural care.
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of TENS in alleviating venipuncture-induced pain in children.
- To compare TENS with placebo and a control group for pain reduction.
- To examine the influence of age on TENS effectiveness for procedural pain.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3x6 factorial design study.
- Involved 514 children aged 5-17 undergoing venipuncture.
- Utilized visual analogue scales (VAS) and McGrath's faces scale for pain assessment.
Main Results:
- TENS treatment significantly reduced pain intensity and affect compared to placebo and control groups.
- Younger age groups (5-17 years) reported higher pain scores than older groups.
- Pain and anxiety levels were lowest in the TENS group and highest in the control group.
Conclusions:
- TENS is a viable and effective intervention for managing venipuncture pain in pediatric patients.
- Age is a significant factor influencing pain perception and response to TENS.
- Further research and implementation of TENS for procedural pain in children are warranted.
Abstract:
A 3 x 6 factorial design with a double blind and placebo control was employed to investigate the effect of TENS treatment on pain produced by venipuncture. The three treatment groups consisted of TENS, placebo-TENS and control. Subjects were blocked into six 2-year age groups (ages: 5-17 years). During the period of the study, 896 children attending the outpatient laboratory of a general hospital were screened and 514 children completed the study. The data which were collected before venipuncture included expected pain and state anxiety. Following venipuncture, pain intensity was measured with a vertical visual analogue scale (VAS) and pain affect was assessed with McGrath's faces scale. Significant main effects for treatment and age groups were obtained. Pain intensity and affect were lowest for the TENS group and highest for the control group. The pain scores were greatest for lower age groups and lowest for higher age groups. The results of this study support the use of TENS for children's pain and the need for interventions for children's procedural pain.