Sadiye Dur
Istanbul University, Turkey
Title: Effect of warming method on infant crying time and durations of procedure in heel-prick blood sampling
Biography
Biography: Sadiye Dur
Abstract
Warming the heel before drawing blood accelerates blood flow. The heat causes vasodilation in the blood vessels of the heel. The vasodilation increases the flow of blood from the site and also causes the blood values of the capillaries to reach the level of the arteries. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the warming method on infant crying time and on the duration of the procedure in heel-prick blood sampling. The data is derived from 120 newborns matching the inclusion criteria over the period June 2015 - April 2016 at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a training and research hospital working under the Ministry of Health. The information sheet and observation form prepared by the researcher were used in data collection. When the groups in the study were compared, they were found to be similar (p>.05). The crying time of infants whose heels were warmed before heel-pricking with manual lancets was found to be significantly less than the infants whose heels were not warmed before heel-pricking with manual lancets (p=0.007; p<0.01). The duration of the procedure in the case of infants whose heels were warmed before heel-pricking with manual lancets was found to be significantly less than in the case of infants whose heels were not warmed before heel-pricking with manual lancets (p=0.030; p<0.05). No significant differences in crying time or procedure duration was observed when automatic lancets were used before the heel-pricking. The use of manual or automatic lancets after the heel-warming revealed no statistically significant differences between crying times and procedure durations (p=0.199; p=0.648; p>0.05). The data collection is ongoing. In the light of the findings on hand, heel-warming when using manual lancets shortens crying time and procedure durations.