• Pain at the time of vaccine injection is a common concern and contributes to vaccine hesitancy across the lifespan.• Evidence-based and feasible interventions are available to mitigate pain and are part of good vaccination clinical practice.• This guideline includes recommendations for pain mitigation based on five domains of pain management interventions (procedural, physical, pharmacologic, psychological and process): the "5P" approach.
Key points• Vaccine injections performed in childhood are a substantial source of distress.• Untreated pain can have long-term consequences, including preprocedural anxiety, hyperalgesia, needle fears and avoidance of health care.• Simple, cost-effective, evidence-based pain-relieving strategies are available.• A "3-P" approach, combining pharmacologic, physical and psychological factors, improves pain relief.
This outbreak was caused by commercially produced, internationally distributed carrot juice that was contaminated with botulinum toxin. When toxemia persists, treatment for botulism should be considered even if diagnosed weeks after illness onset. The implicated pasteurized carrot juice had no barriers to growth of C. botulinum other than refrigeration; additional protective measures for carrot juice are needed to prevent future outbreaks. The US Food and Drug Administration has since issued industry guidance to reduce the risk of C. botulinum intoxication from low-acid refrigerated juices.
Needle fear typically begins in childhood and represents an important health-related issue across the lifespan. Individuals who are highly fearful of needles frequently avoid health care. Although guidance exists for managing needle pain and fear during procedures, the most highly fearful may refuse or abstain from such procedures. The purpose of a clinical practice guideline (CPG) is to provide actionable instruction on the management of a particular health concern; this guidance emerges from a systematic process. Using evidence from a rigorous systematic review interpreted by an expert panel, this CPG provides recommendations on exposure-based interventions for high levels of needle fear in children and adults. The AGREE-II, GRADE, and Cochrane methodologies were used. Exposure-based interventions were included. The included evidence was very low quality on average. Strong recommendations include the following.
In vivo
(live/in person) exposure-based therapy is recommended (vs. no treatment) for children seven years and older and adults with high levels of needle fear. Non-
in vivo
(imaginal, computer-based) exposure (vs. no treatment) is recommended for individuals (over seven years of age) who are unwilling to undergo
in vivo
exposure. Although there were no included trials which examined children < 7 years, exposure-based interventions are discussed as good clinical practice. Implementation considerations are discussed and clinical tools are provided. Utilization of these recommended practices may lead to improved health outcomes due to better health care compliance. Research on the understanding and treatment of high levels of needle fear is urgently needed; specific recommendations are provided.
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