Child’s fear, anxiety before phlebotomy, and difficult vascular access affects the first-time phlebotomy success” Gerçeker et al (2018).
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the success of first-time phlebotomy and the affecting factors in children between 4 and 10 years of age.
METHODS: This descriptive, comparative, and cross-sectional study was conducted on 155 children who underwent phlebotomy. The Sociodemographic Data Form, the Children’s Anxiety Meter-State, the Children’s Fear Scale, and the Difficult Intravenous Access score were used to collect the data for the study. The relationship between the success of first-time phlebotomy, mean pre-phlebotomy fear and anxiety score, and Difficult Intravenous Access score were examined. The variables affecting the success of first-time phlebotomy were assessed by regression analysis.
RESULTS: Phlebotomies failed in 18.1% of children. A statistically significant relationship was found between the success of first-time phlebotomy, Children’s Anxiety Meter-State, Children’s Fear Scale mean scores assessed by the researchers, and Difficult Intravenous Access score. Factors affecting the success of first-time phlebotomy include difficult vascular access, age, mean Children’s Anxiety Meter-State score, mean Difficult Intravenous Access score, and duration of the last phlebotomy performed. These factors explain 42% of the total factors affecting the success of first-time phlebotomy.
CONCLUSION: Child’s fear, anxiety before phlebotomy, and difficult vascular access affects the first-time phlebotomy success.
Reference:
Gerçeker, G.Ö., Ayar, D., Özdemir, E.Z. and Bektaş, M. (2018) The impact of the difficult vascular access, fear, and anxiety level in children on the success of first-time phlebotomy. The Journal of Vascular Access. March 1st. [epub ahead of print].
doi: 10.1177/1129729818765598.