The Effect on Pain of Buzzy® and ShotBlocker® during the Administration of Intramuscular Injections to Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of Buzzy® and ShotBlocker® on reducing pain induced by intramuscular penicillin injections in children. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled study. A total of 150 Turkish children aged 7~12 years who presented to our pediatric emergency clinic and met the inclusion criteria were recruited. The children were randomly assigned to each group (control=50, Buzzy®=50, ShotBlocker®=50). Data were collected using an information form, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, Visual Analog Scale, and Faces Pain Scale-Revised. RESULTS: The children in the control group had significantly higher pain scores during the penicillin injection than the children in the ShotBlocker® and Buzzy® groups. The children in the Buzzy® group had significantly less pain than the children in both the ShotBlocker® and control groups (p<.001). CONCLUSION: Buzzy® was more effective compared with ShotBlocker® in this study.