Vapocoolant spray reduces venipuncture pain by cooling the skin before needle insertion.
In a double-blind Cleveland Clinic study, 78% of patients who received vapocoolant spray reported less pain than previous blood draws, compared to 14% in the placebo group.
- Vapocoolant sprays are non-drug, non-flammable alternatives to lidocaine injections.
- Vapocoolant sprays begin working in seconds and do not require a physician’s order.
- 82% of providers who participated in the study said they would use a vapocoolant spray again for other procedures, including IV cannulation.
Needle anxiety is a real phobia that affects as many as 68% of children ages 8 or younger and more than 50% of children 17 and younger, according to an overview of several studies published in Sage Open Nursing.
Research shows Gebauer’s Pain Ease® instant topical anesthetic skin refrigerant is effective for venipuncture pain management and easy to apply, making it ideal for both patients and physicians.
Vapocoolant sprays can be especially helpful for pediatric patients, including children with chronic diseases who frequently undergo procedures and those experiencing a blood draw.
This summary of the results can help physicians who are considering strategies to reduce venipuncture pain.
What Is Vapocoolant Spray?
Vapocoolant spray is an instant topical anesthetic skin refrigerant that temporarily relieves the pain of minor procedures, such as venipuncture (blood draws), immunizations, and IV starts. The spray evaporates upon contact, rapidly cooling the area to decrease nerve conduction and temporarily reduce pain in seconds.
Gebauer’s Pain Ease® is one example of a vapocoolant spray that is easy for nurse leaders or physicians to use, whether they work in a hospital setting or in a private practice.
Does Using Vapocoolant Spray for Venipuncture Reduce Pain?
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.
Does Gebauer’s Pain Ease Reduce 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, not only for venipuncture, but for other procedures, such as IV cannulations.
|
Outcome |
Pain Ease Group |
Placebo Group |
|
Reported less pain |
78% |
14% |
|
Would use again |
80% |
20% |
|
Provider satisfaction |
82% |
N/A |
How Does Vapocoolant Spray Compare to Other Venipuncture Pain Management Alternatives?
The most common options for managing venipuncture pain are different forms of lidocaine, available as topical anesthetic creams or injections. However, these options have a longer onset time. EMLA cream used on the skin takes up to one hour to work, while Gebauer’s Pain Ease works in seconds.
Additionally, other options are typically more expensive, with some costing nearly $9 per application. Gebauer’s Pain Ease costs less than $2 per application.
A study on 95 emergency department patients ages 9-18 also found Pain Ease may also be more effective than an ice pack to relieve the pain of IV insertion. Of the patients who received Pain Ease, 76% said their treatment worked well, compared to just 49% of those who received an ice pack.
Learn more about how Gebauer’s Pain Ease compares to other topical anesthetics in this comparison chart.
Can Topical Anesthetics Improve HCAHPS Scores?
The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) asks patients 32 questions about their hospital stay. These questions relate to areas such as communication with nurses and doctors, how well their care was coordinated, and the overall hospital environment. While pain management is no longer covered in the survey, it could indirectly influence scores.
Other Considerations When Using a Vapocoolant Spray for Venipuncture
Gebauer’s Pain Ease is FDA cleared to temporarily control the pain associated with needle procedures or other minor procedures and can be used by any licensed healthcare practitioner without a physician’s order. It may be used prior to or, in some cases, in place of lidocaine injections, and it’s easy to apply. As a topical anesthetic, it works within 10 seconds or less to ease pain of venipuncture, immunizations, IV starts, incisions, suturing or suture removal, and other skin procedures.
To learn more about the benefits of Gebauer’s Pain Ease vapocoolant spray and how to use it, download this free practitioner’s guide.
