Effectiveness and safety of Buzzy device in needle-related procedures for children under twelve years of age: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Pain transcends simple physiology, encompassing biological, emotional, psychological, and social facets. Children show pronounced immediate and enduring responses to pain-related procedures. The aim of this meta-analysis is to investigate the efficacy and safety of the Buzzy device for needle-related procedures in children aged twelve years or younger.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched from inception to July 2023. Only randomized controlled trials utilizing the Buzzy device for needle-related procedures in children under twelve years old were included. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Random-effects models were utilized, and analyses were performed using mean differences or standardized mean differences as well as risk ratios.

RESULTS

A total of 19 studies were included, involving 2846 participants (Buzzy = 1095, Control = 1751). Compared to no intervention, the Buzzy device significantly reduced pain response [self-report SMD = -1.90 (-2.45, -1.36), parental SMD = -3.04 (-4.09, -1.99), observer SMD = -2.88 (-3.75, -2.02)] and anxiety scores [self-report SMD = -1.97 (-3.05, -0.88), parental SMD = -2.01 (-2.93, -1.08), observer SMD = -1.92 (-2.64, -1.19)]. Compared to virtual reality (VR), the Buzzy device reduced self-reported anxiety levels SMD = -0.47 (-0.77, -0.17), and compared to distraction cards, the Buzzy device reduced parental and observer-reported pain [parental SMD = -0.85 (-1.22, -0.48), observer SMD = -0.70 (-1.00, -0.40)] and anxiety [parental SMD = -0.96 (-1.46, -0.47), observer SMD = -0.91 (-1.40, -0.42)]. Subgroup analysis results showed that procedure type, patient age, measurement scales used, and distance of operation were not the reason of heterogeneity. The summarized first puncture attempt success rate did not differ from other interventions. There were no significant adverse events in the included studies.

CONCLUSION

The Buzzy device reduces pain and anxiety in children during needle procedures, ensuring success and safety. Additionally, the effectiveness of the Buzzy device in reducing pain during venipuncture is superior when compared to its effectiveness during intramuscular injections.

Topical anesthetics for needle-related pain in adults and children (TOPIC): a mini-review

Purpose

Healthcare professionals (HCP) perform various needle procedures that can be distressing and painful for children and adults. Even though many strategies have been proven effective in reducing distress and pain, topical anesthetic use before needle procedures is uncommon. However, there are limited studies in the existing literature comparing specifically liposomal lidocaine and tetracaine hydrochloride topical creams.

Source

This systematic review analyzed studies on the use of two anesthetic creams, Liposomal Lidocaine (Maxilene®) and Tetracaine hydrochloride (Ametop™), in children and adults undergoing a needle-related procedure. Databases searched: PubMed, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) and Controlled Clinical Trials (CCT) studies were included. Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias assessment tool was used. Strictly minimally invasive procedures were included to standardize different skin needle interventions.

Principal findings

Only one study with 60 participants was available to be included in this review. No statistically significant difference was found in the mean pain score among both interventions. The outcomes of self-reported distress during cannulation and on HCP satisfaction were not reported. However, physiological characteristics associated with stress/anxiety and on cannulation success rate were reported and did not show statistical significance.

Conclusion

Little to no evidence regarding the most efficient cream between liposomal lidocaine and tetracaine hydrochloride for pain management during needle-related procedures was found. Further studies, particularly RCT with larger sample sizes and standardized outcome measures, are needed to confirm the relative efficacy of either anesthetic cream.

The Faces Emotional Coping Scale as a self-reporting instrument for coping with needle-related procedures: An initial validation study with children treated for type 1 diabetes

The aim of this study was to determine the concurrent and content validity, sensitivity and inter-rater reliability of the Faces Emotional Coping Scale (FECS) to evaluate the children's anticipation of the level of emotional coping in conjunction with a venepuncture. A total of 153 children with type 1 diabetes and 86 of their parents participated in the study. The age of the children, 76 of whom were boys, ranged from 7 to 18 years. The child and his or her parent reported the child's coping ability, and the child reported the pain intensity and unpleasantness of a venepuncture. The child also wrote a short narrative about his or her experience of the needle procedure. The FECS correlated negatively with the Coloured Analogue Scale and the Facial Affective Scale and positively with the FECS by proxy. The narratives of 90 children correlated negatively with the FECS. Younger children reported significantly lower scores than older children did regarding their ability to cope with a venepuncture. The children's scores on the FECS showed good agreement with the parents' scores. In this study, the FECS was deemed valid for measuring children's ability to cope with their emotions when undergoing needle-related procedures like venepuncture.