Topical Refrigerant Spray for IVs: Patient/Provider Responses - Prospective, Double-blind, Randomized Study.

Painful procedures are common. Patients prefer analgesia for painful procedures. Studies indicate that use of a topical refrigerant spray (TRS) prior to needlestick procedures decreases needlestick pain.

Patient and Health Care Provider Responses from a Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Vapocoolant Spray versus Placebo Spray in Adults Undergoing Venipuncture in the Emergency Department.

Background: Painful medical procedures are common. Topical anesthetics are easily applied, rapid onset, inexpensive, and avoid injection pain and needlestick injury. The aims of this study, using patient and health care provider questionnaires, were to answer the following questions: (1) Does vapocoolant spray decrease venipuncture pain? (2) Would patients be satisfied with and use a vapocoolant spray in the future? (3) Would providers be satisfied with and use a vapocoolant spray in the future?

Design: Adults (18-80 years) in a hospital emergency department (ED) were randomly assigned to sterile water placebo spray (S) (N = 50) or vapocoolant spray (V) (N = 50) before venipuncture.