Vapocoolant Spray Effectiveness On Arterial Puncture Pain: Randomized Double Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial

Topical Alkane Vapocoolant Spray Effectiveness On Arterial Puncture Pain Reduction In Emergency Department: Randomized Double Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01860248

Enrollment

Registered

2013-05-22

Start date

2012-05-31

Completion date

2013-06-30

Last updated

2013-07-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Puncture Site Pain

Keywords

vapocoolant effectiveness, arterial puncture

Brief summary

This study was aimed to compare pain levels from arterial blood gas (ABG) sampling performed with vapocoolant spray in comparison to placebo.

Detailed description

Previous studies of vapocoolant sprays for reducing pain were mainly on venopuncture with inconsistent results. There was only one prospective open labeled controlled study on arterial blood gas sampling with ethyl chloride which did not show effectiveness. This study will assess the efficacy and tolerability of a topical alkane vapocoolant spray for arterial puncture in adults in comparison to control spray.

Interventions

DRUGVapocoolant spray

The Vapocoolant spray containing alkane is applied for 20 seconds.

DRUGWater spray

This spray is covered so the patient and the investigator can not find the spray type out.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Caregiver)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

14 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* age of 14 years or older, * needs ABG as a part of their diagnosis

Exclusion criteria

* history of analgesic medication used within 24 hours of enrollment, * any sign of decreased consciousness, * history of skin hypersensitivity, * inability to report a pain score, * history of a known neurological problem that changes pain perception, * history of cold related reactions (e.g. Raynaud's phenomenon, cold urticaria), * abnormal Allen's test

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
puncture pain	30 seconds after ABG	30 seconds after ABG was performed, the patients would be asked about the puncture pain in verbal numerical pain scale.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Vapocoolant application pain	30 seconds affter procedure completion	30 seconds after ABG was performed, the patients would be asked about the spray application pain in verbal numerical pain scale.
number of puncture attempts	30 seconds after procedure	The number of ABG sampling attempts is recorded 30 seconds after procedure.

Countries

Iran

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026