For patients, a blood draw can be more than just a routine medical procedure. The fear associated with anticipated pain can overshadow the medical necessity, leaving patients feeling anxious and dreading future appointments. This can lead to needle phobia and even avoidance of essential care in the future.
Fortunately, there is a way to ease this discomfort and improve the patient experience. Topical anesthetic skin refrigerants (also known as vapocoolant sprays), like Gebauer's Pain Ease®, offer a simple yet effective solution.
Gebauer’s Pain Ease is FDA-cleared to temporarily control the pain of needle procedures, injections, IV starts, and other minor surgical procedures. Pain Ease is an easy to use, non-flammable, and non-drug solution that begins working in just 4-10 seconds. Pain Ease can be used by any licensed healthcare practitioner, and does not require a doctor’s order.
This blog delves into a Cleveland Clinic study exploring the effect of providing a vapocoolant spray during a venipuncture procedure has on patient satisfaction. By lessening the pain associated with these procedures, healthcare providers may be able to quickly ease patient anxiety, which may improve patient satisfaction.
Discover how a quick spray can improve the experience for both patients and healthcare professionals, paving the way for a more comfortable and positive healthcare journey.
The Research on Vapocoolant Spray for Venipuncture Pain Management
A study supported by a grant from the Gebauer Company and conducted by a professor at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, studied the impact of vapocoolant spray on 100 adults, ages 18-80, who received blood draws in the emergency department.
Patients received either a sterile water placebo spray or Pain Ease Medium Stream vapocoolant spray. The spray was applied 3-7 inches from the venipuncture site for 4-10 seconds, or until the skin began turning white. Healthcare practitioners then drew their blood with a 21-gauge needle.
The patients completed a questionnaire immediately after the blood draw, and the healthcare providers completed a questionnaire after completing blood sample processing.
The Results: Gebauer’s Pain Ease Reduced Venipuncture Pain
Of the patients who received Gebauer’s Pain Ease vapocoolant spray, 78% reported less pain compared to previous blood draws. Within the placebo group, 14% reported less pain from the sterile water spray compared to previous blood draws.
Additionally, 80% of patients who received Gebauer’s Pain Ease said they would use the spray in the future, compared to just 20% in the placebo group.
Of the providers who used Gebauer’s Pain Ease, 82% reported they were satisfied with the results, 84% said they would use the vapocoolant spray again in the future, not only for venipuncture, but for other procedures, such as IV cannulations.
Other Considerations When Using Vapocoolant Spray for Venipuncture
Before using Pain Ease, be sure to read the full Risk and Safety statement on the left panel of this webpage and follow the directions for use closely. These precautions should be observed when using Pain Ease:
1) Do not spray in the eyes. Do not use this product on persons with poor circulation or insensitive skin.
2) When used to produce local freezing of tissues, adjacent skin areas should be protected by an application of petroleum.
3) The freezing and thawing process may be painful, and freezing may lower local resistance to infection and delay healing.
4) Over application of the product might cause frostbite and/or alter skin pigmentation.
5) Do not use on large areas of damaged skin, puncture wounds, animal bites, or serious wounds.
6) Apply only to intact mucous membranes.
7) Do not use on genital mucous membranes.
By prioritizing pain management with solutions like Gebauer’s Pain Ease, healthcare practitioners can significantly contribute to improved patient satisfaction, which may positively affect HCAHPS scores. Pain Ease offers a safe and effective alternative to lidocaine injections, easing pain within seconds for procedures like venipuncture, immunizations, and IV starts. By minimizing needle anxiety and discomfort, Pain Ease may contribute to a more positive healthcare experience. Its ease of use and quick application makes it ideal for busy healthcare settings, especially since it does not require a physician’s order for use.
This blog is a summary of this study: Prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial comparing vapocoolant spray vs placebo spray in adults undergoing venipuncture (Mace, Sharon E. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, May 2016 - Volume 34, Issue 5, 798 – 804). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2016.01.002
To learn more about how Gebauer's Pain Ease can improve your pain management practices and positively impact patient satisfaction, download this free practitioner’s guide.
