Reducing Pain after Second Trimester Genetic Amniocentesis by Postprocedural Cryotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of cryotherapy on pain reducing after the second trimester genetic amniocentesis. Materials and Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed at Maternal-Fetal-Medicine (MFM) Unit at Thammasat University Hospital, Thailand between December 2019 and March 2020. The participants were pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis for genetic evaluation during the study period were divided into two groups, study and control. After finishing amniocentesis, study and control groups received jelly pack at temperature 4-degree Celsius and room temperature, respectively. The pain measurement was 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) before, during, and 15 and 30 minutes after amniocentesis. Demographic characters and VAS score were recorded and evaluated. Results: Two hundred forty pregnant women between 15 and 22 weeks of gestation were recruited and equally allocated into two groups. There were no differences between the two group in demographic data, indication, anticipated, and actual pain scores (p=0.327 and 0.401, respectively). Median pain score at 15 and 30 minutes after the procedure in the study group were 1 and 0 (p=0.202) while in the control group it was 2 and 1 (0.039). Patients’ satisfaction after finishing the procedure was not significantly different. Conclusion: Cryotherapy was effective in decreasing maternal pain perception after amniocentesis. Keywords: Pregnancy; Amniocentesis; Cold pack; Cryotherapy; Pain