Spray Reduces Cannulation Pain Quickly in Children

Also increases the likelihood of cannulation success

WEDNESDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- A vapocoolant spray provides quick pain relief for children undergoing intravenous cannulation with a higher cannulation success rate than a placebo, according to research published in the July 1 issue of CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

Ken J. Farion, M.D., from the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues randomly assigned 80 children (6-12 years old) to either placebo or vapocoolant spray before intravenous cannulation.

The researchers found that the vapocoolant spray was associated with a significant reduction in pain and a greater likelihood of cannulation success on first attempt (85 versus 62.5 percent). The authors note that parents, nurses and child life specialists all considered the children's pain to be reduced with the vapocoolant spray. Five children needed to be treated to prevent one cannulation failure, the report indicates.

"The vapocoolant spray in our study quickly and effectively reduced pain due to intravenous cannulation in children and improved the success rate of cannulation," Farion and colleagues conclude. "It is an important option to reduce childhood procedural pain in emergency situations, especially when time precludes traditional interventions."

Gebauer Company provided the Pain Ease vapocoolant spray.

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