Journal of Multidisciplinary Care (Oct 2024)
Effectiveness of non-pharmacological methods on pain intensity due to venipuncture in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Background and aims: Therapeutic procedures, including the placement of intravenous catheters, are among the most common sources of pain for children. Various methods exist to reduce pain during venipuncture in children, including non-pharmacological methods, but there is no consensus on the most effective approach. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological methods on pain intensity during venipuncture in children. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted based on English and Persian articles published in the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Irandoc, Iranmedex, SID, and Magiran between 1911 and 2023, using the keywords Venipuncture, Children, Pain, and their MeSH equivalents in all possible combinations. Data analysis was performed using STATA 11 software. Results: Out of 6963 studies obtained from the initial search, 17 eligible articles were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the random effects model showed that among non-pharmacological methods, the pain score of children in the distraction intervention group was 1.72 points lower than that of children in the comparison group, placing it in the strong effectiveness category. Furthermore, distraction interventions were found to be more effective in children under 8.5 years old, with bubble-blowing interventions proving to be the most effective among all. The findings in other groups also showed that acupressure and educational booklet reading interventions performed by the child on a teddy bear were more effective than distraction interventions. Conclusion: Non-pharmacological interventions seem to be an easy, accessible, and cost-effective method for nurses to manage pain associated with venipuncture according to children’s age.
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