Tom Dreisbach, a guest host from NPR, chats with Dr. Stefan Friedrichsdorf, a pediatric expert in pain management at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. They delve into the ever-present fear of needles, often rooted in childhood experiences. Discover a groundbreaking five-step plan to minimize pain during injections, including the use of topical numbing cream and engaging distractions. The duo discusses innovative strategies like celebratory practices and age-specific techniques designed to transform children's medical experiences and alleviate their anxiety.
Childhood trauma can lead to fear of needles, hindering necessary medical procedures.
Numbing cream and positive reinforcement help alleviate pain and anxiety during needle procedures.
Deep dives
Reducing Pain and Anxiety from Needles
Dr. Stefan Friedrichstorf, a professor of pediatrics, leads a team at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals focusing on minimizing needless pain from shots. The traumatic memories many hold from childhood doctor visits can lead to a fear of needles. This fear can hinder necessary medical procedures and preventive care, impacting public health significantly.
Key Strategies for Reducing Needle Pain
Dr. Friedrichstorf and researchers have developed a five-step plan to alleviate pain and anxiety caused by needles in children. The first crucial step involves applying numbing cream at least 30 minutes before the needle procedure to minimize discomfort. Additionally, the protocol emphasizes avoiding restraint on children during procedures and providing age-appropriate distractions to ease the experience.
Cultural Shift for Improved Medical Care
Implementing the five-step protocol requires a cultural shift in medical practices. Despite initial skepticism and competing priorities in healthcare settings, prioritizing strategies like numbing cream, comfort positioning, and positive reinforcement can improve children's experiences with medical procedures. Embracing these changes can lead to more efficient and compassionate care delivery.
According to the CDC, about one in four adults has a fear of needles. Many of those people say the phobia started when they were kids. For some people, the fear of needles is strong enough that they avoid getting important treatments, vaccines or tests. That poses a serious problem for public health. Researchers have helped develop a five step plan to help prevent what they call "needless pain" for kids getting injections or their blood drawn. Guest host Tom Dreisbach talks with Dr. Stefan Friedrichsdorf of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, who works with a team to implement the plan at his own hospital. Friedrichsdorf told us some of the most important research on eliminating pain has come from researchers in Canada. Learn more about their work here.
This episode was inspired by the reporting of our colleague April Dembosky, a journalist at member station KQED and KFF Health News. Read her digital story here.