Abstract

BackgroundMost of the government-sponsored medical teaching institutions in India do not provide safety lancets, and hence, the students are compelled to use hypodermic needles. These needles are widely unpopular among students due to the potential hazards (pain, fear, anxiety) associated with them. This study aims to compare any difference in fear and anxiety associated with finger pricking with a hypodermic needle and a safety lancet.MethodsThis is a prospective cohort study. The current study included data from first-year undergraduate medical students for academic sessions 2021-22.ResultsA total of 121 students participated in the study. Eighty-two (67.8%) participants were male. 41/82 male participants and 20/39 female participants were allocated to the intervention cohort. 111 (91.7%) pricked their fingers by themselves. The sight of others pricking during the experiment (17 versus 5, p=0.004) and the thought of pain while pricking (36 versus 16, p<0.001) was significantly associated more with the use of a hypodermic needle compared to a safety lancet. There was no significant difference in students perceiving the smell of the hematology laboratory (4 versus 1, p=0.165) and the sight of blood (9 versus 3, p=0.064) as a factor influencing their fear and anxiety in both cohorts. There was no gender difference in the perception of these factors.Symptoms were significantly lower in the intervention cohort compared to the control cohort (8 versus 20, odds ratio 0.302, p=0.008). The most common symptom experienced was excessive sweating (n=22, 18.18%), followed by drying of the mouth (n=12, 9.91%). There was a significant difference in pain scores between the intervention and the control cohorts. There was no significant difference in pain scores among male and female subjects.ConclusionA considerable difference between the two cohorts was found. The use of lancets can be proposed to medical teaching institutions for psychological advantage, pain reduction, and overall better quality of the process.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.