How Applying Cold to Different Side Neck Region Affects Venous Cannulation Pain: Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

Various methods are being tried to reduce cannulation pain. Methods such as injection of local anesthetic into the intervention area, use of topical anesthetic, application of ice, and vibrating buzz application have been used to relieve the patient's pain and distract him. There are many different methods of stimulating the vagus nerve. Valsalva maneuver is a mechanism that stimulates Nervus Vagus (N. Vagus). Stimulation of the vagus nerve is thought to have an analgesic effect (2). Stimulation of the vagal nerve has an antinociceptive effect by triggering the baroreceptor reflex arc. It is thought that antinociceptive substance P-like substance is released with the activation of the baroreceptor reflex arc. The areas where N. Vagus is most superficial in the periphery are inside the auricle and the lateral neck region. It is also known that cold application to the lateral neck area reduces the heart rate by stimulating the N. Vagus (5). The degree of effect of vagal stimulation from different sides on different systems may be different (2,3). Applying cold to the neck area will have an antinociceptive effect by activating the baroreceptor reflex arc by stimulating the N. Vagus, and the degree of this effect may be effective differently with stimulation from the right or left side.

Method:

Patients aged 18-75 who will undergo elective surgery (except those who will undergo oncological surgery and those who will undergo cesarean section) will be included in the study. These patients will be evaluated at the anesthesia clinic before the operation. Those who have a scar on the back of the hand, who have had surgery on the back of the hand, who have psoriasis, who have peripheral vascular disease, who use chronic analgesics, who use opioids, who use steroids, who use gabapentinoids, who have a history of substance use, who have peripheral neuropathy, who have received oncological treatment and who have limited cooperation. patients will not be included in the study. Power analysis was done with G*Power 3.1.9.7 program. Before the study, the program was run to calculate the sample size to be equally distributed among the groups, assuming α = 0.05, power (1-β) = 0.80, effect size = 0.5. According to this program, the total number of samples is 128 and there are 64 people in each group. Taking into account recording errors, 70 people in each group and the total sample size was determined as 140 people) will be randomized into 2 groups: Group R (right side) and Group L (left side). The lottery method will be used for randomization.

Group R: Just before the vascular access is opened, a 4x5 cm cold marble stone will be held on the carotid in the right lateral neck area (2-3 cm above the clavicle, on the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SKM)) for 30 seconds (sec), and then the vascular access will be opened.

Group L: Just before the vascular access is opened, a 4x5 cm sized marble stone will be applied to the carotid in the left lateral neck region (2-3 cm above the clavicle, on the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SKM)) for 30 seconds, and then the vascular access will be opened.