Right Approach to Pain and Anxiety

Pain is an often unreported and accepted ‘complication’ of vascular access. However, the impact that pain can have on a patient’s sense of agency and self-esteem should not be underestimated. Such pain should be acknowledged and addressed as an aspect of vascular access that should no longer be ‘the norm’. Instead, strategies should be used to ensure that patients are not traumatised or harmed during vascular access device (VAD) insertion.