Global public health can be improved with effective management of needle fear. Pain, Pain Buzz Away: Bee ating Needle Phobia Needle Phobia Definition Defined as needle fear that is: Persistent Excessive Unreasonable Focus of the fear can be on: Blood and/or injections Medical context itself Insertion of foreign substances into the body Needle Phobia Statistics With approximately 12 billion injections per year worldwide, children have a lot of reasons to be SCARED Affects 3.5% to 25% of the population, depending on the reference If needle fear develops, it can be a chronic issue that affects a person for decades Why Does a Needle Phobia Develop? Adults can often trace their needle phobia back to one traumatic procedure that occurred in childhood First memory might be of an injection Injections hurt, so learn to fear subsequent needles Immunizations are often completed by a stranger, which can further traumatize children Why Does a Needle Phobia Develop? Learn to fear needles from our parents or significant adults If they are scared, I should be too As kids, we might have been warned to stay away from needles, because we might catch something Remember being told to Bee Brave, despite being terrified 1
Why Does a Needle Phobia Develop? cont. Could develop associatively A child sees an elderly adult with an IV who later dies Children don t understand why their parent would allow them to be hurt in this way Individuals in early childhood are exposed to the greatest number of needles (through vaccines) and are at most risk for acute suffering Development of Needle Phobia 4 Ps Predisposition Precipitating factors Perpetuation Protection against the fear developing 4 Ps Predisposition Genetics Females are more at risk Younger children are more susceptible Hereditary Life events Temperament 4 Ps Precipitating factors Trigger or catalytic event(s) History of fainting Experiencing negative needle-related event Excessive bleeding High pain sensations Watching someone else have issues with needles Hearing about needle phobia from a parent 4 Ps cont. Perpetuating factors Distressing memories Poorly managed procedures Anxiety can increase the unpleasantness, pain, and distress experienced 4 Ps cont. Protective factors Parent support and modeling can reinforce coping Allow parents to advocate for pain medication Behavioral predisposition to face a fearinducing stimuli may be helpful * Bee on the lookout for the prevalence of needle phobia in active vs. avoidant copers 2
Why are Kids at Risk? Our ability to handle stressful medical procedures is lowest as a child Children may not be able to reliably selfreport their pain Children rely on adults to accurately interpret their behavioral distress to receive appropriate treatment Why are Kids at Risk? Have not developed internal coping skills Children have difficulty understanding explanations of why the vaccinations are needed Preschool children see needles as a bodily threat and a possible punishment for wrongdoing Identifying Needle Phobia Patients exhibit a marked, persistent, and excessive fear of needles Individuals can recognize the fear is excessive Needles invariable provoke an immediate anxiety response May avoid needles entirely Identifying Needle Phobia Needles are endured with intense anxiety/distress Behaviors interfere with normal routine, functioning, and/or relationships Patient is severely distressed that they have the needle phobia at all Needle Phobia Manifestation Physically real bodily symptoms: Palpitations Increased heart rate or blood pressure Shortness of Breath Dry mouth Panic, flailing, fleeing, and requiring restraint Tremors/seizures Fainting Needle Phobia Manifestation Psychologically changes in thought patterns and fears of: Continued negative thoughts rushing through the mind Something bad happening (i.e. fainting) Losing control 3
Needle Phobia Manifestation cont. Behaviorally acting differently: Feel the need to escape Difficulty watching the procedure Avoidance of all medical contacts for fear that they may use a needle Avoidance of all places that may have needles Treatment Options Exposure therapy to decrease fear Instruction Participant modeling Targeting of catastrophic thoughts Teaches the patient that they can survive the catastrophe Can be accomplished in one session, but may need additional intervention to retain the reduction of fear long term Needle Phobia Case Study Consult from the lab supervisor who was contacted by the physician Anxiety medication prescribed by the doctor Stress points determined Plan created with the support person and the lab techs Distraction Verbal reassurance and deep breathing Desensitization Can help lessen needle fear and decrease procedural anxiety overall Gradual exposure and repetition to help the event lose its anxiety provoking power Celebrate small victories Fear ladder analogy Desensitization Decide which parts of the process will be the most stressful and determine the stress hierarchy Tackle the least anxiety producing items first Gradually increase the amount of time that the task can be tolerated Work up and overcome the fears one at a time Pain Does Not Have to Bee a Part of Health Care 4
Freedom from pain should be a basic human right limited only by our knowledge to achieve it - Liebenskind and Melzack https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=s9tqiowti18 Need for Pain Management Strong relationship between needle pain and fear Children want pain management interventions when the pain is at a lower level than adults People with poorly managed pain are more likely to develop increasingly fearful memories that create more distress at subsequent needle procedures Need for Pain Management Intervention for acute pain during procedures is necessary to reduce or prevent long term effects of unmitigated pain Unpredictable and severe procedurerelated pain can be associated with negative emotional and psychological implications Effective pain management may help prevent needle phobia from developing at all Need for Distraction The AAP and the American Pain Society both recommend minimizing and relieving stress during procedures Alternative focus helps: Reduce pain perception Kids tolerate pain Decreases anxiety Increases the sense of control Enhances comfort Promotes rest and sleep 5
Need for Distraction Empowering children and families Training children to be active agents in their own pain management Coping skills learned can be generalizable to other settings, situations, and times Rattles Light-up Spinners Ipad Bubbles I Spy Books/Bottles Play-Doh Magic Wands Fidget Spinners Distraction Ideas Need for Positioning for Comfort Children cope better when: The environment is calm and the noise level is low Parents are present and supporting them They are sitting up for procedures, when possible They are in control and can see what is going on around them They are not immobilized by strangers Move From Distrust to From negative to positive coping: Active listening and rapport building Offering appropriate choices, when available Education Preparing children for procedures Coping plans and rehearsal Play and other psychosocial support for the entire family Deep/slow breathing and relaxation techniques Trust and Mastery Allowing children to focus on self helps them develop emotional intelligence Learning to direct their attention away from the stressful situation is empowering Kids can learn to trust the medical team and navigate experiences successfully Patient- and Family-Centered Care including parent presence during procedures If healthcare can effectively decrease our society s needle phobia, immunization rates will increase and the population will be healthier. 6
Resources Aydin, D. and Shiner, N.C. (2016). Effects of music therapy and distraction cards on pain relief during phlebotomy in children. Applied Nursing Research, 33, 164-168. http://dx.doi.org//10.1016/j.apnr.2016.11.011. Hockenberry, M.J. and Wilson, D. (2015). Wong s nursing care of infants and children. Mosby: St. Louis, MO. McMurtry, C., et. al. (2015). Far from just a poke : Common painful needle procedures and the development of needle fear. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 31, S3-S11. http://doi.org/10.1097/0272. McMurtry, C. et. al. (2015). Interventions for individuals with high levels of needle fear: Systematic review of randomized controlled trails and quasi-randomized controlled trials. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 31, S109-S123. http://doi.org/10.1097/0273. Resources Canbulat, N., et. al. (2015). Effectiveness of external cold and vibration for procedrueal pain relief during peripheral intravenous cannulation in pediatric patients. Pain Management Nursing, 16(1), 33-39. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2014.03.003. Lestari, P. L., et. al. (2017). The effectiveness of distraction (cartoon-patterned clothes and bubble-blowing) on pain and anxiety in preschool children during venipuncture in the emergency department. Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing, 40: S1, 22-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694193.2017.1386967. Oommen, S., et. al. (2014). Effectiveness of the distraction technique on pain and behavioral distress during invasive pediatric procedure among school age children. International Journal of Nursing Education, 6, 159-164. http://doi.org/10.5958/0974-9557.2014.00626.6. Resources Karakaya, A. and Gozen, D. (2016). The effect of distraction on pain level felt by school-age children during venipuncture procedure Randomized controlled trial. Pain Management Nursing, 17(1), 47-53. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2015.08.005. Uman, L. S., et. al. (2013). Psychological interventions for needle-related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents. The Cochrane Collaboration. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.: Hoboken, New Jersey. 7