Influence of the presence of parents during venous puncture in their children on the level of stress and anxiety experienced by both

Section: Originals

How to quote

Casanovas-Marsal JO, García Martínez M. Influencia de la presencia de los padres durante la punción venosa de sus hijos. Metas Enferm jun 2017; 20(5): 15-20.

Authors

Josep Oriol Casanovas-Marsal1, Montserrat García Martínez2

Position

1Máster Oficial en Atención Integral al Enfermo Crítico y Emergencias. Enfermero. Servicio de Urgencias. Hospital Universitario Sant Joan de Reus. Tarragona2Doctora por la Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Profesora. Departamento de Enfermería. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Tarragona

Contact address

Josep Oriol Casanovas-Marsal. C/ Camíno de Tarragona, 37, 5º-2ª. 43204 Reus (Tarragona)

Contact email: josep.oriol.casanovas@gmail.com

Abstract

Objective: to assess if the presence of parents reduces the pain and stress suffered by their sons and daughters during venous puncture, and if their presence during the procedure reduces their own anxiety.
Method: a controlled and randomized clinical trial, with two assignment arms. A sample including 150 children from 1 month to 14 years of age, who underwent a venous puncture; 75 of them were accompanied by their parents (PP) and the parents of the other 75 were absent (AP). Pain in children was assessed through evaluation scales adapted to their age groups, and stress was measured with the Groningen Scale. The anxiety in parents was assessed with the STAI Anxiety Questionnaire. A comparative analysis of the three variables was conducted according to the assignment arm (mean and standard deviation (SD)). A multivariate analysis was conducted through linear regression in order to assess the effect of the presence of their parents on the pain and stress levels of the children.
Results: the study included 150 patients (PP arm n= 75 and AP arm n= 75). The mean age in the PP group was 3 years, and 5 years in the AP arm; the assignment arms presented statistically significant differences according to the child’s age (p< 0.05). The mean pain in children from the PP arm was 4.8 (SD: 2.8), and 3.8 in the AP arm (SD: 2.2). The mean stress of children in the PP arm was 2.9 (SD: 1.5), and 2.2 in the AP arm (SD: 1.5), with statistically significant differences between comparison arms for pain and stress (p< 0.05). The mean anxiety in parents of the PP arm was 37.5 (SD: 4.5), and 37.5 in the AP arm (SD: 4.5), without any statistically significant difference (p> 0.05). Age and success in venous puncture is associated with pain, and age is associated with children’s anxiety.
Conclusions: parents’ anxiety was not modified in any arm. Pain and stress in children from the arm with parents present were higher than in the arm with absent parents, assuming that the age of boys and girls in the PP arm was lower than in the AP arm. The age of boys and girls and the success in venous puncture has influence on pain, and age is a determining factor for stress in children undergoing venous puncture.

Keywords:

pain; stress; venous puncture; anxiety; fathers; mothers; mothers

Versión en Español

Título:

Influencia de la presencia de los padres durante la punción venosa de sus hijos