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Fear of Needle Sticks Causes Significant Stress and Anxiety in Parents and Children, New Parent Survey Finds

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct 16, 2006 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- More than 70 percent of children -- and 69 percent of mothers -- experience fear, stress or anxiety during a visit to the doctor or hospital that includes an inoculation, blood draw or intravenous line, according to a new survey of more than a thousand parents with children under 10 years of age, yet few parents are offered options to mitigate that stress and pain.

The survey, conducted during Pain Awareness Month in September, underscores the extent of concerns about pediatric pain. It found 70 percent of children are afraid of getting a needle stick, a figure that rises to more than 79 percent in children seven and older. According to the parents surveyed, 57 percent of children cry, including more than half of those age seven and older. The survey found 55 percent of children have trouble sitting still and 14 percent try to run away.

Despite the high rate of anxiety surrounding the procedure, topical numbing creams have been offered to only 13 percent of children, according to the survey. Television, a proven distraction, was only used for 14 percent. Few parents believe they know how to properly prepare for a trip to the doctor or hospital that might include a needle stick; only 30 percent said they "always" felt ready for such a procedure.

"The stress surrounding needle sticks in children is clearly a huge problem for both parents and their children. While topical pain treatments are available, the long onset of action -- up to an hour -- often discourages use due to the time pressures of modern medicine," said William T. Zempsky, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut; Associate Director, Pain Relief Program, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford. "The survey results underscore the need for healthcare professionals to address needle stick pain and the need for parents to inquire about ways to can make the experience more pleasant."

Guidelines from the American Pain Society and the Intravenous Nursing Society call for local anesthetics to be considered in pediatric patients for procedure-related pain, even for simple procedures such as venipuncture. American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on pediatric pain in the emergency room, co-authored by Dr. Zempsky in 2004, call for local anesthetics to be considered for any non-emergent patient with a high likelihood of an IV line placement or other procedures that involve drawing blood.

"These findings show that fear and anxiety actually increase as children get older, making it crucial to treat pediatric pain early to prevent lingering trauma and a lifetime of apprehension," said Will Rowe, the executive director of the American Pain Foundation. "We hope this survey will create a call-to-action to control pain during these routine -- yet frequently stressful -- pediatric procedures."

And the stress extends beyond childhood. About half of all parents are nervous about getting shots and blood draws themselves, and that apprehension adds to the anxiety they feel when their child receives a needle stick; 33 percent of parents said that their own fear of needles boosted their stress level even when the procedure was performed on their child.

About the Survey

On behalf of Anesiva, the online survey was conducted by Impulse Research Corporation in September 2006 with a random sample of 1,011 men and women representing a cross-section of parents with children under 10 years of age in the United States. The overall sampling error for this survey is +/- 3% at the 95% level of confidence.

About Anesiva and its Diverse Pipeline of Pain Management Products

Anesiva, Inc. is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company that seeks to be the leader in the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic treatments for pain. The company has three drug candidates in development for multiple pain-related indications, the most advanced of which, Zingo(TM) -- for the reduction of pain associated with venipuncture and intravenous line placements -- has completed Phase 3 clinical trials. The second product in the pipeline, 4975, has been shown to reduce pain after only a single administration for weeks to months in multiple settings in numerous mid-stage clinical trials for site-specific, moderate-to-severe pain. 1207, a new local anesthetic that is undergoing preclinical development as a topical local anesthetic, is anticipated to enter the clinic in 2006. Anesiva is based in South San Francisco, CA. For more information about Anesiva's leadership in the development of products for pain management, and an overview of the clinical challenges being addressed by its product candidates, go to www.anesiva.com.

SOURCE Anesiva, Inc.

Jennifer Cook Williams, Vice President, Investor Relations, of Anesiva, Inc.,
+1-650-246-6963, or [email protected]; or Brian Reid of WeissComm Partners,
+1-703-402-3626, or [email protected], for Anesiva, Inc.

http://www.anesiva.com

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