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POTENTIAL USE OF MELATONIN IN PROCEDURAL ANXIETY AND PAIN IN CHILDREN UNDERGOING BLOOD WITHDRAWAL.

Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents
January 1, 2015
L Marseglia et al. (7 authors)
Comparative StudyLetterRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether oral melatonin premedication could reduce anxiety and pain in children undergoing blood sample collection.

Results Summary

Melatonin significantly reduced both pre-procedural anxiety and procedural pain compared to placebo, with strong statistical significance across different age groups. The effects were consistent, supporting its use for anxiolysis and analgesia in pediatric blood draws.

Population

60 children aged 1-14 years, divided into two equal groups.

Effective Dosage

0.5 mg/kg body weight (maximum 5 mg), administered orally 30 minutes before the procedure.

Duration

Single administration before blood draw.

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (3)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
oral melatonin premedication
decrease
anxiety
children having blood samples taken
p<0.0005
significantly reduced
#1
oral melatonin premedication
decrease
pain levels
children under 3 years having blood samples taken
p<0.0002
significantly reduced
#2
oral melatonin premedication
decrease
pain levels
children over 3 years having blood samples taken
p<0.0039
significantly reduced
#3
Abstract

The recognition of the value of pain, especially in the pediatric population, has increased over the last decade. It is known that pain-related anxiety can increase perceived pain intensity. There are several different approaches to the treatment of pre-procedural anxiety and procedural pain in children. Melatonin, a neurohormone with the profile of a novel hypnotic-anaesthetic agent, plays an important role in anxiolysis and analgesia. This study investigated the effects of oral melatonin premedication to reduce anxiety and pain in children having blood samples taken. The investigations were carried out on 60 children, aged 1-14 years, divided into 2 equal groups. Using a computer-generated randomization schedule, patients were given either melatonin orally (0.5 mg/kg BW, max 5 mg) or placebo 30 min before blood draw. Pre-procedural anxiety was assessed using the scale from the Children’s Anxiety and Pain Scales, while procedural pain used the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability assessment tool for children under the age of 3 years, Faces Pain Scale-Revised for children aged 3-8 years and Numeric Rating Scale for children over the age of 8 years. Oral administration of melatonin before the blood withdrawal procedure significantly reduced both anxiety (p<0.0005) and pain levels than placebo (p<0.0002 for children under 3 years and p<0.0039 for children over 3 years). These data support the use of melatonin for taking blood samples due to its anxiolytic and analgesic properties. Further studies are needed to support the routine use of melatonin to alleviate anxiety and pain in pediatric patients having blood samples taken.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Acute PainAdministration, OralAdolescentAnalgesics, Non-NarcoticAnti-Anxiety AgentsAntioxidantsAnxietyChildChild, PreschoolDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansInfantMaleMelatoninPain MeasurementPain PerceptionPhlebotomyPremedicationPunctures
Study Links
PubMed ID26122244
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations25
Citations/Year2.5
Relative Citation Ratio1.33
NIH Percentile60.7%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.70
Normalized Score0.69
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