Utilization of local pressure devices in pain management during injections: scoping review.
Jefferson Wildes da Silva Moura, Aline de Souza Bitencourt, Thiago Lopes Silva and 3 others
PMID 39082544WHAT IT FOUND
ShotBlocker may ease injection pain, but evidence was mixed.
Some trials showed no pain benefit, and anxiety was not reliably reduced. Nurses can consider it as a low-cost option, not a guaranteed analgesic.
Key findings
01All 20 included studies examined ShotBlocker, while no indexed studies were found for Pikluc.
02ShotBlocker reduced pain in some trials but did not reduce pain significantly in others.
03Anxiety was not consistently reduced; one trial found no anxiety reduction and one included systematic review noted the device may increase anxiety.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review did not find indexed studies on Pikluc, so evidence for that Brazilian device was not mapped. No studies were found for intradermal injections. Some relevant studies may have been missed because database searches could not use controlled descriptors and cross-references were not included. The included studies used different ages, injection routes, medications, outcomes and devices, so results were described rather than combined into one effect estimate. Findings were inconsistent: ShotBlocker reduced pain in some trials but not others. Anxiety and fear were not consistently reduced, and one study noted the device may increase anxiety. Most included studies were from Turkey (80%), so generalizability to other settings is uncertain.
Declared interests
Funding came from CAPES and CNPq, including doctoral and productivity scholarships. The supplied text lists funding but no separate conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude ShotBlocker reliably reduces injection pain or anxiety. The review found mixed results: some trials showed no significant pain reduction, and anxiety was not consistently reduced.