Effects of a Thermoelectric Element Band on Venipuncture-associated Pain and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

Venipuncture is an invasive procedure for diagnosis and treatment, which is often attributed to pain and anxiety. In this study, a thermoelectric element (TEE) band was developed to apply heat therapy (40∼45°C), cold therapy (0∼10°C), or thermal grill illusion (TGI) therapy (40∼45°C, 0∼10°C) to cause an illusion of pain by simultaneously applying heat and cold. This band was subsequently used to investigate its effect on patient pain, anxiety, and satisfaction.

METHODS

This was a randomized controlled study. Participants, who were to undergo venipuncture, were randomly assigned to the heat therapy, cold therapy, TGI therapy, or control groups. Each group had 30 participants. The interventions were employed for 10 seconds during venipuncture, and the pain, anxiety, and satisfaction were measured before and after the procedure.

RESULTS

Subjective pain, anxiety, and physiological responses after TEE band intervention were not significantly different between the four groups. However, there was a significant difference in satisfaction (F = 4.21, p = .007) between the four groups, and the cold therapy group showed the highest satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

In this study, when heat, cold, and TGI therapy were applied with a TEE band, pain and anxiety relief effects were not confirmed, but satisfaction was high. TEE band is a newly developed product that can easily apply hot and cold treatments without using ice packs or hot water packs. Further studies with various individual characteristics of chronic pain or repeated venipuncture are warranted to evaluate the effect of TEE.

Comparing the effectiveness of three pain relief methods for inserting a needle into the implanted venous access chemoport: A randomized controlled trial

AIMS

Effective methods for relieving pain in inserting a needle for chemotherapy in cancer patients have been studied. This study examined the pain relief effects during needle insertion into the implanted venous access chemoport by comparing three methods.

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial included 120 cancer patients who were randomly assigned. The experimental groups received applications of lidocaine cream (n = 30), cryotherapy (n = 30) and cutaneous stimulation therapy (n = 30); the control group (n = 30) received routine care. Premeasurements and postmeasurements were evaluated using a visual analogue pain scale and nurses' careful observations of patients' pain behaviour checklists during needle insertion.

RESULTS

Pain levels were reduced by all three interventions, with the level of relief depending on the type of application. All experimental groups showed significant reduction in pain compared with the control group. Lidocaine cream had the strongest effect, followed by cryotherapy and then cutaneous stimulation.

CONCLUSION

Lidocaine cream, cryotherapy and cutaneous stimulation therapy all reduced cancer patients' pain levels during insertion of an implanted central venous access chemoport needle. Nurses can apply cryotherapy and cutaneous stimulation therapy independently to reduce the pain associated with this procedure. Future studies should consider using these methods to control for any individual differences that may exist.