A study to assess the effect of cryotherapy on Arterio–Venous (A.V) Fistula puncture related pain among hemodialysis patients at selected hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Ms. Tinsy John; Ms. Kabita Kundu; Ms. Debarchana Mandal

Volume : IX, Issue : VI, June - 2019

A study to assess the effect of cryotherapy on Arterio–Venous (A.V) Fistula puncture related pain among hemodialysis patients at selected hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Ms. Tinsy John, Ms. Kabita Kundu, Ms. Debarchana Mandal

Abstract :

Pain during Arterio–Venous (A.V) Fistula cannulation remains a common problem among hemodialysis patients. A non–equivalent pretest posttest control group design was adopted to assess the effect of cryotherapy on pain due to A.V Fistula in hemodialysis patients. Conceptual framework was based on ‘Gate Control Theory’. A nonprobability–purposive sampling technique was used to obtain 60 patients (30 each in experimental and control groups) who were undergoing hemodialysis by using A.V.Fistula. Objective and subjective pain scoring was done on two consecutive days of hemodialysis treatment (with cryotherapy for the experimental and without cryotherapy for the control group). The tools used were a structured interview schedule examining sample characteristics, visual analogue scale for subjective pain response and an objective pain behaviour checklist for assessing objective pain behaviour. Descriptive statistics were used and deemed appropriate. Chi–square, two–sample and paired t–tests, Spearman‘s and Pearson‘s correlations were used for inferential statistics. It was found that the objective and subjective pain scores were significantly (p = 0.001) reduced among the experimental group with the application of cryotherapy. This study highlights the need for adopting alternative therapies such as cryotherapy for effective A.V.Fistula puncture related pain management in hospital settings.