Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: September | Volume: 9 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 103-109
An Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Helfer Skin Tap Technique on Procedural Pain among Patients in Selected Civil Hospitals of Punjab
Sandeep Kaur1, Sharanjeet Kaur2, Satalinjeet Kaur3
1Assistant Professor, 2,3B.Sc. Interns;
Rayat Bahra College of Nursing, Mohali, Punjab, India
Corresponding Author: Sandeep Kaur
ABSTRACT
Introduction– According to American Pain Society, Pain is referred as “the fifth vital sign” to stress its significance and to improve attention of health care professionals about the importance of effective pain management strategies. In the medical practice, Intramuscular injection is one of the most frequent procedures done almost every day to deliver medication deep into large muscles of the body.
It is a fact that any intra muscular injection will cause pain at the site of injection and it is a challenge to the nurses to give painless injections. Different methods are used by nurses to reduce pain during IM injections such as tapping the skin, Z-track method, applying pressure, applying heat and cold. Among the different physical interventions, the most effective is tapping the skin to keep the muscles relaxed. It is an accepted fact that there is reduction in pain while giving injection into a relaxed muscle.
Materials & Method- One hundred ten (110) patients from Civil Hospital, Kharar, Civil Hospital, Phase-6, Mohali and Civil Hospital, Chamkaur Sahib were selected by Simple Random Sampling: Lottery method as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data was collected from subjects by Uni-dimensional Pain Assessment Scales consisting of Numeric Rating Scale, Visual Analog Scale and Verbal Descriptor scale.
Result- The frequency data shows that pain perception was mild for maximum 71 (64.54%) subjects with HST (Helfer Skin Tap) technique while for exact same number for subjects 71 (64.54%) pain was moderate with ST (Standard Technique) by using NRS (Numeric Rating Scale). Similarly, according to VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) 43 (39.09%) subjects were hurt more with ST, whereas 52 (47.27%) were hurt little bit with HST. As per VDS (Verbal Descriptor Scale) data analysis, half of subjects 55 (50%) experienced mild pain with HST, while 50 (45.45%) subjects reported moderate pain with ST. Therefore, all three Uni-dimensional Pain Assessment Scales revealed that the procedural pain perception is less with HST as compared to ST.
The study findings revealed that the mean pain score with ST and HST by using NRS, VAS & VDS was 3.96 ± 1.61, 3.56 ± 1.91, 3.41 ± 1.64 and 2.55 ± 1.57, 2.32 ± 1.75, 2.22 ± 1.65 respectively. So, it can be said that pain perception is less with HST than with ST.
The statistical testing of data related to effectiveness of HST as compared to ST on procedural pain perception by ‘paired t test’ shows it to be statistically significant at p<0.01 level and concluded that there is significant reduction in procedural pain perception with HST as compared to ST.
The association of pain perception with selected socio-demographic variables i.e., age and gender was found to be non-significant at p>0.05 level.
Conclusion- The study concluded that Helfer Skin Tap Technique is effective in reducing procedural pain (intramuscular injection).
Key words: Effectiveness, Helfer Skin Tap Technique, Procedural pain, Patients.