Trial reportPediatric emergency care2013
Cryotherapeutic topical analgesics for pediatric intravenous catheter placement: ice versus vapocoolant spray.
Trial report in Pediatric emergency care, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effects of Spray and Stretch Technique Versus Sustain Pressure for the Management of Upper Trapezius Triggers
The Effect of Coolant Spray on Rib Fracture Pain of Geriatric Blunt Thoracic Trauma Patients: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy and safety of vapocoolant spray for vascular puncture in children and adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- A Comparison of the Effects of Acupressure and Music on Venipuncture Pain Intensity in Children: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.Pain research & management · 2024Trial
- Effect of coolant spray on rib fracture pain of geriatric blunt thoracic trauma patients: a randomized controlled trial.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2023Trial
- Hand Surgery Anaesthesia Innovations: Balancing Efficiency, Cost, and Comfort with WALANT, Ultrasound, and Emerging Adjuncts-A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Clinical Evolution and Safety of a Cryotherapy - Based Spray for Mild to Moderate Joint and Muscle Pain: A Descriptive Observational Study.International journal of sports physical therapy · 2025Article
- Efficacy of ShotBlocker device versus vapocoolant spray for spinal needle pain relief during spinal anaesthesia in elective caesarean section - A randomised controlled trial.Indian journal of anaesthesia · 2024Article
- Comparison of the Effect of EMLA™ Cream and the Valsalva Maneuver on Pain Severity during Vascular Needle Insertion in Hemodialysis Patients: A Controlled, Randomized, Clinical Trial.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Article
- Topical Vapocoolant-Associated Vaso-occlusive Event in a 10-year-old with Sickle Cell Disease.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses · 2021Article
- Comparison between Vapocoolant Spray and Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics Cream in Reducing Pain during Spinal Injections.Anesthesiology research and practice · 2018Article
- Vapocoolant Anesthesia for Cosmetic Facial Rejuvenation Injections: A Randomized, Prospective, Split-Face Trial.Eplasty · 2018Article
- Managing Pediatric Pain in the Emergency Department.Paediatric drugs · 2016Review
- Subcutaneous and Intramuscular Hemodynamics and Oxygenation After Cold-Spray Application as Monitored by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.Journal of athletic training · 2015Article
- Adverse effects of vapocoolant and topical anesthesia for tail biopsy of preweanling mice.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2015Article
- Decreasing Pain in Hospitalized Patients by Increasing Topical Anesthetic Use for Peripheral IVs.Pediatric quality & safetyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesIntravenous catheter placement is one of the most common sources of pain for children in inpatient settings. We sought to compare the efficacy of 2 cryotherapeutic treatments for this procedure: vapocoolant spray versus topical ice pack.
methodsWe prospectively enrolled 95 patients, aged 9 to 18 years, in a pediatric emergency department who required intravenous (IV) catheters as part of their treatment. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive vapocoolant spray or topical ice pack for 3 minutes, before IV catheter placement. Subjects completed visual analog scale (VAS) scores for 3 time points: baseline, pretreatment with ice or spray, and IV insertion. The principal investigator and 2 physicians viewing video recordings of the procedure also completed VAS scores for observed pain levels. Visual analog scale scores were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test.
resultsAlthough median VAS scores were similar, the change in VAS from baseline was of greater magnitude in the Painease group, indicating that it may be more effective. More subjects in the Painease group (76%) felt their treatment worked well, compared with 49% in the ice group. Physician-assigned VAS scores were lower and less variable than those of subjects. Most IV insertions were successful (83%).
conclusionsVapocoolant spray may be more effective than ice as an analgesic for IV insertion. Subjects were more satisfied with vapocoolant spray. Neither agent caused a decrease in successful IV insertion rates.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.