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. 2021 Jul 16:15:1593-1600.
doi: 10.2147/PPA.S321175. eCollection 2021.

Effects of Hand Holding on Anxiety and Pain During Prostate Biopsies: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Wenfeng Li #  1 , Yuanshen Mao #  1 , Yufei Gu  1 , Chao Lu  1 , Xin Gu  1 , Bao Hua  1 , Weixin Pan  1 , Qinghong Xi  1 , Bin Xu  1
Affiliations

Effects of Hand Holding on Anxiety and Pain During Prostate Biopsies: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Wenfeng Li et al. Patient Prefer Adherence. .

Abstract

Background: Effective pain management is limited for patients during prostate biopsy (PBx). Touch support, such as hand holding, has stress-buffering benefits and effective analgesic effects. We conducted a prospective, single-center randomized clinical trial to assess whether hand holding can reduce patient anxiety, pain, and dissatisfaction during PBx.

Methods: Between April 2020 and October 2020, 120 male patients were randomized into three groups: a hand holding with relatives (HR) group, a hand holding with strangers (HS) group and a control group. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used for self-assessments of pain and satisfaction. Anxiety levels were quantified according to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Hemodynamic changes were also measured.

Results: The degree of pain and anxiety in the hand-holding groups was significantly better than that in the control group (P<0.001), and the patients were more willing to undergo repeat PBx (P=0.017). The anxiety levels in the HR group were significantly lower than those in the HS group (P=0.019). During PBx, the changes in systolic blood pressure and heart rate in the hand-holding groups were more stable than those in the control group (P<0.01), and the fluctuations in heart rate in the HR group were smaller than those in the HS group (P<0.01).

Conclusion: Hand holding, especially with relatives, can promote incremental reductions in anxiety, pain and dissatisfaction in patients during PBx. Hence, we recommend hand holding with relatives as an effective adjunct during PBx.

Keywords: anxiety; hand holding; pain; satisfaction; transrectal prostate biopsy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Wenfeng Li and Yuanshen Mao should be considered co-first authors. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of hemodynamic parameters measured during PBx among the three groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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