Nociceptor-stimulating devices can help reduce pain, anxiety and fear in children requiring regular injections

摘要

The negative impact of needle-related procedures has been widely reported with evidence of distress, anxiety and non-compliant behaviours. This is challenging for children with chronic illnesses and their families. Devices are available that aim to reduce pain through stimulation of nociceptors around the injection site to block the transmission of painful signals to the brain. ShotBlocker is a horseshoe-shaped flexible plastic device with projections on one side. Buzzy consists of two parts: (1) a bee-shaped character that vibrates by battery power and (2) a blue gel wing-shaped icepack.