Empathy Reduces the Recurrence Rate of Venipuncture-induced Syncope

Abstract

Objective: To demonstrate the effect of empathy on reducing the recurrence rate of venipuncture-induced syncope among patients with a history of fainting. Methods: A total of 300 patients with a history of fainting at the sight of blood or a needle who visited our outpatient department for blood draws during December 2013 and December 2018 participated in this study and were randomly divided into a control group (98 cases of mild syncope and 52 of severe syncope) and an experimental group (95 cases of mild syncope and 55 of severe syncope). The control group followed the traditional procedure for drawing blood; in addition to the traditional procedure, a psychological nursing intervention was applied to the experimental group. Results: The experimental group had a recurrence rate significantly lower than the control group (6.7% vs 37.3%, P = 0.001); particularly, there was a statistically significant difference between the recurrence rates of the mild-syncope subgroups (0.1% vs 12.2%, P = 0.02). In terms of severe syncope, the patients in the experimental group showed a lower recurrence risk compared to those in the control group (16.4% vs 84%, P = 0.0001), and the difference has statistical significance. Conclusion: Empathy is an effective psychological nursing intervention against the recurrence rate of venipuncture-induced syncope among patients with a history of fainting.