The Effect of Coolsense Method on Pain and Comfort in Hemodialysis Patients

Pain is a sensation of unease that arises in response to intense stimulation of nerve endings throughout the body. It impacts individuals on various dimensions (emotional, social, physical, etc.), often leading to feelings of anxiety and fear. Pain is recognized as a subjective experience, influenced by factors such as age and previous pain encounters, shaping an individual's perception of pain. During their hospitalization, patients may undergo painful procedures repeatedly over an extended period, which can lead to increased complications, prolonged hospital stays, and even a decline in overall health. Furthermore, pain symptoms can reduce compliance with hemodialysis (HD) treatment, impacting the quality of life and comfort of HD patients.

Effective nursing care interventions must prioritize the needs of patients and ensure their comfort and well-being. Comfort is regarded as the foundation of high-quality nursing care. Literature suggests that identifying and managing symptoms resulting from illness or treatment can enhance patients' comfort levels. Moreover, nurses, in their independent role, can effectively minimize pain and prevent potential complications by employing non-pharmacological treatment methods, especially in managing pain symptoms. Non-pharmacological methods are advantageous due to their affordability, applicability across all age groups, ease of use, and cleanliness. In this context, cold application stands out as one of the most effective non-pharmacological treatments for alleviating pain symptoms.

Cold application mitigates pain through two primary mechanisms. Firstly, it indirectly induces an analgesic effect by reducing swelling, edema, and muscle spasms caused by trauma or inflammation. Secondly, it directly contributes to analgesia by altering the conduction of peripheral nerves. Additionally, cold application leads to a decrease in the conduction velocity of unmyelinated nerve fibers responsible for transmitting painful stimuli, thereby diminishing pain perception. In the relevant literature concerning the application of cold therapy, there is a noticeable scarcity of international studies focusing on the CoolSense device, which has demonstrated local anesthetic effects preceding medical procedures in recent years. Furthermore, there is currently no international or national study available that assesses the impact of the CoolSense device on the pain experienced during arteriovenous fistula cannulation in hemodialysis (HD) patients. In light of this gap in research, this study aimed to investigate the influence of the CoolSense Method on arteriovenous fistula cannulation pain and the comfort levels of HD patients.

Inclusion criteria

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For the patient:

• Being 18 years of age or older,
• Receiving HD treatment through the fistula,
• Being conscious and able to communicate with no impairment in mental or cognitive functions,
• Taking sedatives or analgesics at least 6 hours ago,
• Having no diabetes-related neuropathy,
• Having no alcohol or narcotic dependence.

Exclusion criteria

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• Refusing to participate in the study,
• Being 18 years of age or younger,
• Receiving dialysis treatment through a catheter,
• Having diabetes mellitus for more than 10 years or no diabetes-related neuropathy,
• Having a history of addiction or diagnosed psychological disorders,
• Having an unstable hemodynamic status.