Effect of Cold Application on Arteriovenous Fistula Puncture Pain among Hemodialysis Patients in Selected Hospitals of Kamrup Metro, Guwahati

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most devastating medical, social and economic problems for patients and their families in our country. Patients undergoing hemodialysis are repeatedly exposed to pain from approximately 300 punctures per year. Therefore, pain assessment and management are considered as the nursing priority and one of the important aspects of clinical nursing and one of the therapies to reduce pain is Cold Application. Aim: To determine the effectiveness of cold application on ArterioVenous Fistula Puncture Pain among hemodialysis patients. Material and Methodology: The research approach adopted was quantitative research Approach using pre-experimental (one group pretest posttest) research design. The study was conducted in the Nephrology Department of Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam. The sample for the study consists of hemodialysis patients with ArterioVenous Fistula Puncture pain.60 samples were selected for the study. The selection of the sample was done by non-probability convenience sampling technique. Two tools which include tool 1-Semi structured questionnaire (demographic and health related variables) and tool 2-Numerical Pain Rating Scale were utilized to collect the data. Results: Results revealed that before intervention mean pain score was 6.38 (SD=1.027) and after intervention mean pain score was 3.22 (SD=1.106) with mean difference was 3.16. The effectiveness was tested using paired t test with obtained (t=36.71, df=59, p=0.001) was statistically significant at pless than0.05 level. Findings revealed that cold application was effective on reduction of ArterioVenous Fistula Puncture Pain among Hemodialysis patients. Conclusion: Hence, findings concluded that cold application was effective on reduction of ArterioVenous Fistula Puncture Pain among Hemodialysis patients.