Analgesic Effect of Regular Breathing Exercises with the Aim of Distraction during Venipuncture in School-aged Thalassemic Children

Abstract Background Pain is described as the fifth vital sign, and inadequate pain management is linked to numerous immediate and long-term negative outcomes. Venipuncture is one of the most painful medical procedures in children. Distraction is one of the main effective ways to relieve pain. Reducing patients’ pain sensation maybe feeling is important for all nurses for many reasons. Unnecessary pain can damage the nurse-patient relationship, whereas the knowledge of alternative techniques can improve patient care and satisfaction. Materials and Methods Forty patients (6–12 years) suffering from thalassemia and requiring venipuncture were randomized into distraction group (n=20, regular breathing exercise) and control group (n=20, without any intervention). The pediatric pain behavioral symptoms and Numeric Pain Rating Scale were used to assess pain caused by venipuncture. Results The mean of pain score based on the numerical scale was 5.60 ± 3.13 in the control group and 1.85±1.42 in breathing exercises and the mean score of behavioral pain symptoms was 3.80±2.80 in the control group and 0.96±0.75 in breathing exercise group. Results showed a significant difference between the mean of pain scores (based on numeric scale and pain behavior scale). (p≤0.001) Conclusion Distraction demonstrated to be effective in reducing pain. This intervention requires minimum effort and time and may be a cost-effective and convenient nursing intervention that could be used easily in clinical settings.