Evaluation of novel 23-gauge winged blood collection set for venipuncture: Impact on patient pain perception

Abstract

Introduction: Venipuncture is a starting point of most diagnostic processes and a common source of pain and anxiety in many patients. The study aimed to evaluate and report the pain perception upon needle insertion during phlebotomy using the novel UltraTouch™ Push Button Blood Collection Set (UTPBBCS) with a five-bevel tip and assess the recommendation from the patients to use UTPBBCS for future blood collections. Materials and Methods: The blood samples were collected with UTPBBCS (23 g) from 100 adult patients who reported at the outpatient department phlebotomy room for routine blood tests. The pain level was distributed into five scores. Consent and feedback were collected from all the patients. Results: In the current study, 89% of individuals reported “No Pain” (score 1), and 11% reported a score of 2. 100% of the study population reported less pain during the blood collection process with UTPBBCS. All the individuals who had undergone blood collection with an UltraTouch needle recommended this device for future blood collections. Conclusion: The results of this observational study provided insights on the use of technology such as the penta bevel needle and ultra-thin wall cannula, which reduced the pain during phlebotomy and improved patient experience. This can lead to a practice change in phlebotomy, especially for trypanophobia patients and patients with difficult venous access (thin and fragile veins) such as pediatric, geriatric, dialysis, and oncology patients. By reducing the number of phlebotomy attempts, pain, and hematoma, the patient's satisfaction score is improved, and they feel safe to come back to the hospital when seeking a health-care facility.