Local warming to reduce pain on peripheral intravenous cannula insertion : a randomised controlled study

• Insertion of intravenous cannulas (IVCs) is one of the most commonly used invasive procedures in healthcare and can be perceived as very painful by the patient.The aim of this study was to evaluate whether venous dilatation produced by local warming (LW) reduces pain on peripheral IVC insertion.The study with a sample size of 125 patients was undertaken in a day care unit.Patients were randomised to an experimental group (n = 61) or a control group (n = 64).The experimental group received LW during 60 seconds before cannula insertion.The control group received no treatment.The intravenous catheter used was optiva, an 18 gauge over-the-needle catheter.Pain was measured with a 10cm visual analogue scale (VAS) with a possible pain score of 0–10.The results showed no statistical significance between the groups in mean pain, with 1.74 measured in the LW group versus 2.01 scored in the control group.The percentage of patients who had a VAS >3 was 15.6% in the LW group versus 22.9% in the control group.However, this difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, LW before peripheral IVC insertion appears not to have any pain-reducing effect. Altogether 20% of all the participants experienced the insertion as a painful procedure.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

Keyword

intravenous cannula

pain

pain reduction

Vårdvetenskap

Nursing Science

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)