Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and community
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J Child Health Care · Sep 2014
Comparative StudyRelaxation and guided imagery used with 12-year-olds during venipuncture in a school-based screening study.
Needle-related procedures are reported to be problematic for children. In a school-based celiac disease screening, 12-year-olds' experiences with relaxation and guided imagery (R-GI) during venipuncture were investigated. One group tried nurse-led R-GI (n = 60) and another group received standard care (SC; n = 49). ⋯ VAS scores did not differ between the groups. The blood test was mostly experienced as unproblematic, and GI during venipuncture did not decrease pain or affect. However, the fact that a number of children scored high FAS indicates a need for effective methods to help children cope with needle-related school-based procedures.