Minimizing Pain Associated with Prekindergarten Intramuscular Injections

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two separate nursing interventions on the amount of pain experienced by prekindergarten children with a routine DPT immunization. A 2 × 2 factorial design was used in the study to test the two nursing interventions. One half the children had the skin coolant Frigiderm sprayed on the injection site immediately prior to the injection while the other half had aerosol air sprayed on their leg immediately prior to the injection. The second intervention attempted to alter the processing and interpretation of the injection pain by giving cognitive information. The sample consisted of 20 male and 20 female children between the ages of 4 years 9 months and 5 years 9 months. The mean amount of pain expressed by the children who received Frigiderm was 1.85, and the mean amount of pain for the aerosol air was 2.55. The mean amount of pain expressed when cognitive information was given was 2.10 compared to the no cognitive information group mean of 2.30. Although the sample size is small, it appears that the amount of pain experienced with routine immunizations can be decreased by using Frigiderm and cognitive information. Expanded use of both interventions to include children undergoing bone marrow aspiration, venipuncture, lumbar punctures, and other types of injections is indicated.