SynthesisFrontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland)2026
Effects of cold therapy on ecchymosis and pain after subcutaneous heparin injection: a meta-analysis and systematic review.
Synthesis in Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of three local physical cooling techniques (ice pack compression, vapor cooling spray, and pre-cooled needles) on pain and ecchymosis after subcutaneous anticoagulant injection, re-examine prior controversies with the latest evidence, and provide evidence-based references for clinical nursing. Methods: Five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL) were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing local cold therapy with routine care. Primary outcomes included post-injection pain intensity, ecchymosis incidence, and ecchymosis size. Results: Ten randomized trials, including seven parallel-group and three randomized within-participant trials, enrolled 807 unique participants. Local cold therapy reduced immediate pain intensity after heparin injection (SMD = -0.64, 95% CI: -0.81 to -0.47, Conclusion: Local cold therapy may reduce immediate injection pain and early ecchymosis after subcutaneous heparin injection. Evidence at 72 h was outcome-dependent: ecchymosis-free status favored cold therapy, whereas ecchymosis size did not differ significantly. The findings should be interpreted cautiously because of high heterogeneity, outcome-specific risk of bias, and inconsistent reporting of intervention and measurement procedures. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261278725, identifier CRD420261278725.
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.