Minimizing Fear of Needle Procedures in Pediatric Patients

Presenters

Kimani EffsFollow

Disciplines

Pediatric Nursing

Abstract (300 words maximum)

Despite being one of the most common medical procedures, there are still countless people who are afraid of needle injections. Childhood trauma associated with needles can later deter adults from seeking medical treatment. It is approximated that 20-50% of adolescents and 20-30% of adults exhibit a fear of needles. Consequently, 16% of adult patients avoid certain medical procedures out of fear. The purpose of this project is to determine if nonpharmaceutical interventions can be effective in minimizing pain in pediatric patients and in turn, reduce fear and anxiety related to needle procedures.

Literature review: A systematic review was conducted to determine if nonpharmaceutical interventions could be used to mitigate pain when receiving an injection. Buzzy, a cost-effective device that uses vibration and an icepack to provide a cold analgesic, and ShotBlocker, a device with several short blunt contact points that temporarily blocks pain, were identified as ways to reduce pain and fear when receiving an injection.

Method: To conduct this research, three groups will be identified. The first group will receive Buzzy, the second group will receive ShotBlocker, and the third group, the control group, will receive no intervention.

To determine the effectiveness of these interventions, a group of children aged 6-10 will be studied. Before and after an injection, the child, guardian, and an outside observer will be asked to rate the child’s anxiety level using the Children’s Fear Scale. The Wong-Baker Faces Scale will be used to determine pain after the injection. This process will be used multiple times to observe if anxiety levels related to needles decrease overtime with intervention. If anxiety levels of the groups receiving the intervention are significantly lowered compared to the control group, the results will be presented to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta research team for further implementation of the study.

Academic department under which the project should be listed

WellStar School of Nursing

Primary Investigator (PI) Name

Karen Fegely

Additional Faculty

Christie Emerson, Nursing, cemerson@kennesaw.edu

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Minimizing Fear of Needle Procedures in Pediatric Patients

Despite being one of the most common medical procedures, there are still countless people who are afraid of needle injections. Childhood trauma associated with needles can later deter adults from seeking medical treatment. It is approximated that 20-50% of adolescents and 20-30% of adults exhibit a fear of needles. Consequently, 16% of adult patients avoid certain medical procedures out of fear. The purpose of this project is to determine if nonpharmaceutical interventions can be effective in minimizing pain in pediatric patients and in turn, reduce fear and anxiety related to needle procedures.

Literature review: A systematic review was conducted to determine if nonpharmaceutical interventions could be used to mitigate pain when receiving an injection. Buzzy, a cost-effective device that uses vibration and an icepack to provide a cold analgesic, and ShotBlocker, a device with several short blunt contact points that temporarily blocks pain, were identified as ways to reduce pain and fear when receiving an injection.

Method: To conduct this research, three groups will be identified. The first group will receive Buzzy, the second group will receive ShotBlocker, and the third group, the control group, will receive no intervention.

To determine the effectiveness of these interventions, a group of children aged 6-10 will be studied. Before and after an injection, the child, guardian, and an outside observer will be asked to rate the child’s anxiety level using the Children’s Fear Scale. The Wong-Baker Faces Scale will be used to determine pain after the injection. This process will be used multiple times to observe if anxiety levels related to needles decrease overtime with intervention. If anxiety levels of the groups receiving the intervention are significantly lowered compared to the control group, the results will be presented to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta research team for further implementation of the study.