ArticleNursing reports (Pavia, Italy)2023
A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial on the Effectiveness of an Anti-Stress Ball Technique for Pain Reduction during Vascular Access Cannulation in Haemodialysis Patients.
Article in Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Enhancing Patient Outcomes: Stress Ball Use as a Non-Pharmacological Intervention in Port Catheterization.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Trial
- Effect of stress ball use on cannulation-related invasive pain in Hemodialysis patients: a randomized controlled, single-blind study.BMC nephrology · 2025Trial
- The Effect of Stress Ball on Anxiety and Pain Levels in Angiography: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Cardiovascular therapeutics · 2024Trial
- Stress ball use as a non-pharmacological intervention in critically Ill patients: A randomized controlled trial.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Reality and challenges of peripheral vascular access: a mixed-methods study.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2026Article
- Functioning of vascular access and satisfaction with nursing care among patients undergoing haemodialysis.International urology and nephrology · 2026Article
- Pain Assessment in Patients during Hemodialysis Treatment: Quality Improvement Project.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPain in patients under haemodialysis affects the quality of life of chronic renal patients. Distraction has been effective in controlling pain induced by the insertion of needles. Once applied adequately, distraction promotes endorphin release, with efficacy in acute pain management. This study evaluates pain perception while puncturing the haemodialysis device, using an anti-stress ball as a distraction strategy.
methodsThis study is a retrospectively registered pilot randomised controlled trial of 47 chronic renal patients undergoing regular haemodialysis programs in a dialysis unit, in the central region of Portugal. Patients were randomly allocated into control and intervention groups. The intervention group received an anti-stress ball on the opposite limb of the vascular access, while the control group underwent pain evaluation without any intervention. Pain was monitored using a numeric pain scale. The study aimed to evaluate pain during vascular access cannulation and explore the potential benefits of using an anti-stress ball to reduce this pain.
resultsPatients in the intervention group experienced significantly lower pain scores (-1.23;
conclusionDistraction through an anti-stress ball reduces the perception of pain experienced by the chronic renal patients undergoing haemodialysis. However, the trial's retrospective registration may introduce a risk of selective-outcome reporting. Further research with prospectively registered trials is recommended to validate the findings.
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