Parental holding to manage children's anxiety with venipuncture: experiences from Qatar

ObjectiveThe purpose of this randomized control trial with a pretest-posttest design was to compare the outcomes in one group of children (n = 56) being held upright in a comfortable position by a parent or family member during venipuncture procedures, with the second group of children (n = 51) lying flat (supine) on an exam table or bed.Material and MethodsThe three outcomes in both groups were: (a) The children's behavior before, during, and after the venipuncture procedure using the distress scores measured with the Procedure Behavior Rating Scale (PBRS-R); (b) parent-reported satisfaction; (c) Nurses rated their satisfaction with the child's position and reported the attempted number of needle-pricking attempts.ResultsThe comfort position was more successful than the supine position in reducing the distress of venipuncture procedures. The satisfaction levels of the nurses and parents measured with quantitative and qualitative methods were contradictory. The number of needle-pricking attempts was not higher when using the comfort position.ConclusionObservational measurement found children less distressed in comfort than in the supine position. Responses to open-ended questions also suggested that the nurses and parents preferred the comfort position.