Effects of Cryotherapy and Thermotherapy Using an E-TEET on Pain, Stress, and Satisfaction Among Patients and Healthcare Providers During Intravenous Catheterization: A Randomized Controlled Trial

TL;DR

This study tested a new device called E-TEET to reduce pain and stress during IV catheterization, finding that cryotherapy with it lowered stress and improved satisfaction.

Contribution

The novel contribution is evaluating the E-TEET device's cryotherapy and thermotherapy effects on pain, stress, and satisfaction during IV procedures.

Findings

Cryotherapy with E-TEET significantly reduced stress and improved patient satisfaction compared to a latex tourniquet.

Healthcare providers reported higher satisfaction with cryotherapy than with the control group.

No significant differences in pain or physiological measures were found across groups.

Abstract

Background: Intravenous catheterization is a common nursing procedure, although it is invasive and may cause pain and stress. Non-pharmacological interventions such as cryotherapy and thermotherapy have been explored, but practical and effective options remain limited. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cryotherapy and thermotherapy using the Enhanced Thermoelectric Element Tourniquet (E-TEET) a device equipped with a temperature-controlled plate and wireless charging on pain, stress, and patient satisfaction during intravenous catheterization. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 128 adult inpatients scheduled for preoperative intravenous catheterization. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: cryotherapy (n = 31), thermotherapy (n = 31), control (E-TEET without temperature, n = 33), or comparison (latex tourniquet, n = 33). Pain and stress levels were measured using- the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), along with pulse rate and oxygen saturation. Post-procedure satisfaction was also evaluated. Results: No significant differences were observed among the groups in terms of pain, pulse rate, or oxygen saturation. However, the cryotherapy group exhibited significantly lower stress levels and higher satisfaction compared to the comparison group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Healthcare provider Satisfaction was significantly higher in the cryotherapy group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Cryotherapy using the E-TEE Tourniquet effectively reduced stress and improved satisfaction during intravenous catheterization, supporting its use as a feasible non-pharmacological intervention. Further studies are needed to standardize intervention parameters and validate findings across populations.

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