Buzzy Versus Vapocoolant Spray: Pediatric Needle Pain Relief

Needle pain is the most common and the most feared source of childhood pain, resulting in
needle phobia for 10% of adults. Current pain relief options include numbing creams,
vapocoolant spray, or injected lidocaine. 17 million pediatric IV access procedures are done
yearly with no pain intervention. An inexpensive, immediately acting form of needle pain
control could reduce needle phobia in the long term if demonstrated to be effective for
needle pain.

This study will evaluate pain self report and parent report using the Faces Pain Scale
revised, and video-coded OSBD-R scores for patients undergoing emergency department venous
access or cannulation procedures. Demographic information, pre-procedural anxiety, and
success data from the attempts at placement will be included.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Patients requiring venipuncture in a pediatric emergency department

- Informed consent

- Patient assent

Exclusion criteria:

- Patients with sickle cell or other sensitivity to cold

- Nerve damage in the area

- Abrasion or break in skin where device would be placed

- Critically ill