Predictive factors for anxiety during blood sampling and insertion of peripheral intravenous catheters in paediatric patients in Spain

Abstract

Introduction: Invasive procedures for diagnosis purposes such as venepuncture and peripheral venous catheter insertion are painful procedures that cause great stress for paediatric patients. The objective of this study is to find out the factors that have an impact on the level of anxiety experienced by children undertaken these procedures. Design and methods: Prospective study, 359 children between 2 and 15 years old were included, treated in a tertiary reference hospital in the region of Navarra (Spain). The impact of the variables recorded was analysed using a regressive analysis, the Wong-Baker and FLACC scales were used to measure the level of pain and the PACBIS scale to measure the level of stress and anxiety. Results: The average age of the participants was 7.93 years (SD: 4.04), with 51.8% (n = 186) boys and 48.2% (n = 173) girls. The mean value of pain recorded was 4.43 (SD:3.10). 45.7% (n = 123) of the venepuncture techniques was associated with minimum level of anxiety, including 11.1% of intravenous catheterization. Variables determining the anxiety has been detected such as age, sex, level of pain, parental conduct and time spent on the procedure. Conclusions: Paediatric patients experience high levels of anxiety when undergoing painful procedures which are conditioned by multifactorial reasons. The increase in stress is directly related to the older age (>6 years old) of the patient, and statistically significant by the female gender, the longer duration of the technique and the parental block. Practice implications: Healthcare professionals should work on some of the variables and apply measures aimed to mitigate anxiety levels. For example, reducing the duration of the procedure, training parents, and distracting techniques.