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Investigating the Effect of Arnica Ointment and Distraction on the Pain Caused by Fistula Needle Insertion in Hemodialysis Patients: A Clinical Trial

Background: Fistula needle insertion constantly exposes dialysis patients to pain, mitigation of which improves acceptance of hemodialysis and quality of life in these patients. Objectives: Therefore, the present research was conducted to investigate the effect of Arnica ointment and distraction on the pain caused by fistula needle in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This double-blind clinical trial was performed on 93 hemodialysis patients attending the dialysis wards of Ali Ibn Abi Talib and Khatam-al Anbia hospitals. The participants were chosen using the convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to three groups of Arnica ointment, distraction, and placebo. The pain intensity caused by arteriovenous needle insertion in two hemodialysis sessions was measured by visual analogue scale (VAS). Then, the collected data were analyzed by SPSS, version 22. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: We found a significant difference in pain intensity between the Arnica and placebo groups and between the distraction and placebo groups (P < 0.001). Further, pain intensity in the Arnica group was significantly lower than in the distraction group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Arnica ointment and distraction are palliative and convenient methods, which are even trainable to patients themselves. Considering the low cost of these methods, they are recommended to be applied before inserting the fistula needle.