Abstract

Background: Blood shortages for transfusions are often associated with potential donors’ fear of pain from large-bore needles, which may deter them from donating. Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness and satisfaction of topical anaesthetics, cooling sprays, and audiovisual distractions in reducing needle-induced pain during blood donation. Methods: This randomised controlled study (August 2023 – January 2024) investigated methods to alleviate pain during blood donation and was registered with the Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20230324007). Forty-eight eligible participants were recruited via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to one of four groups: control, topical anaesthetic, cooling spray, or audiovisual distraction. All procedures involved 16-gauge needle insertion. Pain was assessed immediately after needle insertion and blood collection using a 10-point numeric rating scale, while satisfaction was measured using a 4-point Likert scale. Participants met standard blood donation eligibility criteria. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and multivariate linear regression to determine intervention effects on pain scores. Results: The final analysis incorporated all 48 subjects, with 12 individuals in each of the four groups. The mean age of participants was 30.73 years (SD = 11.83), and females comprised the majority of the sample (54.16%). Mean pain scores during needle insertion were 3.25 (SD = 1.21), 2.83 (SD = 1.11), 2.67 (SD = 1.61), and 3.00 (SD = 2.22) (p = 0.960) for Groups A through D, respectively. Compared with the control, regression analyses of audiovisual distraction showed small differences that were not statistically significant (e.g., audiovisual distraction: β = 0.78, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.58). During blood withdrawal, mean pain scores were 1.67 (SD = 1.19), 1.67 (SD = 0.83), 1.58 (SD = 1.51), and 1.25 (SD = 0.62) (p = 0.892). Similarly, regression analyses showed no significant intervention effects (audiovisual distraction vs. control: β = 0.79, 95% CI 0.50 to 2.08). Multivariate analyses revealed no significant effects of the intervention methods, demographic factors, prior blood procedure experience, or body mass index on pain scores. Conclusion: Although pain-reduction interventions showed a trend toward lowering pain, the differences were not statistically significant. Given the variability in pain perception, larger multicentre studies are needed to confirm these findings.