Effect of cold application on intramuscular injection pain among patients with fractures

Abstract

Background Intramuscular injection (IMI) is an invasive and painful procedure that is routinely used in health care settings. The knowledge regarding the efficiency of nonpharmacological methods of pain management, including cold application, is limited and needs further research studies. Aim The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of cold application on IMI pain among patients with fractures. Design A quasi-experimental design (pre-posttest nonequivalent control group design) was used. Setting This study was conducted in the inpatient clinic of Orthopedic Surgical Department in Beni Suef University Hospital. Sample A convenient consecutive sample of 64 adult male and female patients was enrolled in the study. Tools Two tools were used for data collection: (a) structured interview assessment form, including sociodemographic and medical-related data, and (b) pain assessment forms. Results The study findings revealed that the mean age of the study and control groups was 39.2±11.1 and 34.8±11.9 years, respectively. When analyzing the numerical pain scale, a statistically significant difference was found between both groups, with higher reduction in the total mean score of pain from 6.78±1.6 to 2.34±0.9 among the group that received cold application before IMI. It also showed that there were highly statistically significant differences in the total mean score of the observational checklist of nonverbal pain indicators of the study group between preintervention and postintervention results during movement and at rest (P≤0.001). Conclusion This study concluded that cold application was an effective nursing measure in reducing the pain intensity associated with IMI. Recommendations Continuous education for nurses must be provided to improve their knowledge and practice regarding nonpharmacological methods such as cold application and its effect on relieving pain arising from IMI into the vastus lateralis muscle.