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Stress-Ball Distraction for Pain and Anxiety During Painful Procedures in Critically Ill Patients
Sponsor: Alexandria University
Summary
This study will examine whether using a small hand-held stress ball during painful procedures can help critically ill adult patients feel less pain and anxiety. Painful procedures may also temporarily increase heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. Participants will be randomly assigned, like flipping a coin, to one of two groups. One group will receive usual care during the procedure. The other group will receive usual care and will be asked to squeeze a stress ball as a distraction technique during the procedure. The study team will measure participants' pain and anxiety before, during, and 15 minutes after the procedure. The team will also record heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, procedure-related events, use of additional pain medicine or sedation, and satisfaction with care. The findings may help health care providers understand whether stress-ball distraction is a safe, simple, non-drug method for improving comfort during painful procedures in critically ill patients.
Official title: The Effect of Stress-Ball Distraction on Pain, Anxiety, Physiologic Responses, and Satisfaction During Painful Procedures in Critically Ill Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
104
Start Date
2026-09-30
Completion Date
2027-01-01
Last Updated
2026-09-23
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Stress-Ball Distraction
Participants assigned to the experimental arm will use a hand-held stress ball as a non-pharmacological distraction technique during the painful procedure, in addition to receiving standard care.
Standard care
Participants will receive the routine standard care provided during the painful procedure according to the unit's usual clinical practice. No stress-ball distraction technique will be provided.