Efficacy of Helfer Skin Tap (HST) Technique on Pain during Intramuscular Injection among Children Attending Immunisation Clinic - A Randomised Controlled Trial in South India 1393

Abstract

Background: Injections for vaccinations are found to be the most common cause of iatrogenic pain in childhood and the association of pain with such types of vaccinations may result in anxiety and discomfort for children as well as for their family members and the healthcare providers who administer them. Aim: This RCT has been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the Helfer Skin Tap (HST) technique on pain among children receiving intramuscular immunisation. Materials and Methods: Quantitative research was carried out with the true experimental post-test only control group design among 40 attending the immunisation clinics selected by convenience sampling technique with random assignment. The intervention was administered by tapping at the injection site for 3 minutes before, during, and after vaccination in the experimental group. The pain was assessed with a standardised FLACC pain scale in both groups. Results: We analysed the data with chi-square test for homogeneity of sample characteristics and association with pain, and an independent t-test for the effectiveness of HST. There was a statistically significant reduction in pain among the experimental group after HST in comparison with the control group, and none of the variables had any association with pain in children. Conclusion: The study concluded that the HST technique was significantly effective in pain reduction among children undergoing intramuscular injections at an immunisation clinic. How to cite this article:Saritha V, Radha MS, Subhashini L, Srinivasan P. Efficacy of Helfer Skin Tap (HST) Technique on Pain during Intramuscular Injection among Children Attending Immunisation Clinic - A Randomised Controlled Trial in South India. Chettinad Health City Med J. 2023;12(2):56-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2278.2044.202328