The Effect of Helfer Skin Tap Technique During Tetanus Injection in Pregnant Women

Celal Bayar University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Intramuscular Injection; Pain

Treatments: Procedure: Helfer skin tap injection technique; Procedure: Standard Injection technique

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05761340

Celal Bayar University

Details and patient eligibility

About

Intramuscular (IM) vaccination administered using the right injection technique is known to cause less pain and injury. Nurses employ different approaches like applying pressure, tapping the skin, cold and hot applications for reducing the pain caused by the IM vaccine administration. Helfer skin tap is among the techniques that relax muscles.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of Helfer skin tap technique on pain reduction and hemodynamic parameters during tetanus injection in pregnant women. This study was conducted on pregnant women who applied to the Family Health Center to get a tetanus vaccine. The Helfer skin tap and standard application groups each included 33 and 32 pregnant women, respectively.

Full description

In 1988, Joanne Helfer developed the "Helfer Skin Tap Technique" which is applied by touching the skin over the injection site and attempted to reduce the intramuscular injection-related pain. In this technique, after determining the injection site, nearly 15 strokes are made on the skin for almost five seconds using the fingertips of the dominant hand in order to soften the muscles. Later, the skin is cleaned with alcohol, the non-dominant hand is put in V shape and the skin is hit three times. During the third stroke, the syringe is pricked into the muscle with a 90-degree angle at the same time. Making a few taps relaxes the muscles and counting to three helps synchronizing the muscle tap and injection and standardizes the technique. Mechanical stimulation of muscle fibers of larger diameters decreases the effect of smaller, pain generating fibers. According to the gate control theory suggested by Roger Metzack and Past Wall (1965), in addition to a mechanical stimulation during an IM injection, this technique also causes distraction, which, in turn, helps reducing pain.

The study aimed to determine the effect of Helfer skin tap technique on pain reduction and hemodynamic parameters during tetanus injection in pregnant women. This study was a randomized clinical trial conducted in Manisa Soma Family Health Center in Turkey. The study was conducted with 65 pregnant women who got tetanus vaccine. Tetanus vaccine was administered using the Helfer skin tap techniques to 33 of the pregnant women and standard IM injection technique to 32 women. The pain was evaluated immediately after vaccination and hemodynamic parameters were examined before and immediately after the vaccine.

Enrollment: 65 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• over the age of 18
• being pregnant,
• having no infection, scar tissue, or incision, and receiving parenteral treatment in their injection area
• having no history of pain in their injection are
• applying for tetanus vaccine
• speaking Turkish
• voluntariness.

Exclusion criteria

• under the age of 18
• not being pregnant
• having a vaccination other than tetanus,
• having pain or a local infection prior to vaccination,
• having a circulatory disorder, peripheral vascular disease,
• cognitive and psychological problems,
• using painkillers at least 6 hours before the procedure,
• refusing to participate

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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65 participants in 2 patient groups

Helfer Skin Tap Group

Experimental group

Description:

Pregnant women were vaccinated against tetanus with the Helfer skin tap technique.The pain was evaluated with Number rating scale immediately after the procedure and also hemodynamic parameters were measured before and after the vaccination. A total of 33 pregnant women completed the study in the Helfer skin tap group

Treatment:

Procedure: Helfer skin tap injection technique

Standard Application Group

Experimental group

Description:

Pregnant women were vaccinated against tetanus with thestandard application technique.The pain was evaluated with Number rating scale. The pain was evaluated immediately after vaccination and hemodynamic parameters were examined before and after the vaccination. A total of 32 pregnant women completed the study in the standard application group.

Treatment:

Procedure: Standard Injection technique