The Effectiveness of Local Dry Cold, Hot and Vibration Applications in Peripheral Intravenous Catheterization

The Effectiveness of Local Dry Cold, Hot and Vibration Applications During Peripheral Intravenous Catheterization Placement in the Emergency Unit

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect on venous dilation, procedure duration and pain severity of local hot, cold and vibration applications performed on the intervention area before peripheral intravenous catheterization in adults.

Methods: The study included 120 adults who were randomly selected between March and August 2023. One application group (n=30) received local hot application, one group (n=30) received local cold application, and one (n=30) received local vibration using the Buzzy® device. The applications, to the site of the peripheral intravenous catheterization, lasted one minute. The control group (n=30) the received standard peripheral intravenous catheterization application. The groups' venous dilation was assessed on the vein assessment scale and the level of pain felt during catheterization was assessed using a visual analog scale.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being in accordance with time and place
• Being aged between 18 and 65 years
• Being able to evaluate the visual analog scale correctly
• Participating voluntarily in the research.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not participating voluntarily in the research
• Not fitting the inclusion criteria of the research
• Having a vision or hearing problem
• Having a mastectomy
• Having any illness which could affect pain perception, such as sensory-motor disorder, diabetes, peripheral vascular diseases or peripheral neuropathy
• Having an allergy to heat and cold application
• Having phlebitis, scar tissue, dermatitis, an incision or findings of infection at the place where the intervention was to be performed
• Having taken an analgesic (within the previous six hours) or an anesthetic agent before the peripheral intravenous catheterization procedure