New Survey Finds Enhanced Pain Management for Blood Draw and IV Insertions in Children Would Benefit Patients, Families and Nursing Staff

-More than 2,000 Nurses from Preeminent Organizations Report Job Satisfaction Would Be Improved by Better Pain Management Practices-

By Anesiva, Inc.

According to a new survey of nurses to be presented tomorrow at the 27th annual meeting of the American Pain Society (APS), increasing the use of non-pharmacologic interventions (such as distraction techniques, parental coaching, and comfort positions) and pharmacologic options that do not cause treatment delays or vasoconstriction would enhance patient and staff satisfaction.(1) The survey, sponsored by Anesiva, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSV) also found that 91 percent of respondents agree that better pain management for IV insertions and blood draws (peripheral venous access procedures) in children improves their job performance and 81 percent agree that it improves their job satisfaction.(1)

More than 18 million peripheral venous access procedures, including blood draws and IV insertions, are performed on children in U.S. hospitals each year.(2) A study published in the journal Pediatric Nursing shows that these types of peripheral venous access procedures are among the most frequently reported painful events in hospitalized children.(3) The American Pain Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among other organizations, have developed recommendations that emphasize the importance of minimizing procedural pain in children whenever possible.(4) However, despite the existence of these recommendations, children undergoing these procedures remain largely under-treated.(5) This is partly due to the fact that many currently available local anesthetics take 20 minutes or longer to become effective, making their use in today's fast-paced hospital environment difficult.

"As a pediatric anesthesiology research nurse, I regularly witness children's pain caused by blood draws and IV insertions," said survey author Terri Voepel-Lewis, MSN, RN, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "This survey reinforces the enormous positive impact nurses can have on a patient's experience, simply by using pharmacologic and other management options available to manage peripheral venous access pain."

Data were collected by an on-line survey administered to a national sample of nurse participants. The survey was distributed via e-mailed invitation to the membership of the Emergency Nurses Association, the Infusion Nurses Society, and the Society of Pediatric Nurses. Participants were asked to rate the importance of managing blood draw and IV pain, the impact that these procedures have on patient and nurse satisfaction, and their attitudes on the value of available pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. A total of 2,187 nurses completed the survey.(1)

Nearly all (96 percent) participants agree that inserting an IV line into a fearful, anxious child can be challenging -- a situation that is encountered 76 percent of the time.(1) As reported by survey respondents, children receiving an IV insertion need to be restrained about 74 percent of the time.(1) In addition, the survey found that children who do not receive a topical local anesthetic (TLA) prior to blood draws and IV insertions experience distress and anxiety 72 percent of the time.(1) Nearly all survey participants (92 percent) agreed that patients and their families would benefit from the use of a fast-acting TLA for such procedures.(1)

Most surveyed nurses (96 percent) reported using non-pharmacologic options to manage children's pain. Despite the fact that 66 percent of respondents reported having experience using pharmacologic interventions, they indicated that TLAs are employed less than a third (28 percent) of the time. Primary reasons cited for not using pharmacologic interventions include their association with slow onset of action, treatment delays, and vasoconstriction, as well as lack of physician authorization.(1)

"This survey reinforces a core belief of the children's pain community -- that all children deserve to be offered appropriate medical resources and comfort for peripheral venous access procedures," 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. "Healthcare providers should consider the use of pharmacologic treatments and non-pharmacologic techniques to reduce the unnecessary suffering associated with these procedures."

About Anesiva and its Diverse Pipeline of Pain Products

Anesiva, Inc. is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company that seeks to be the leader in the development and commercialization of novel pharmaceutical products for pain management. The company has one FDA-approved product, Zingo(TM), for the reduction of pain associated with peripheral venous access procedures in children ages three to 18. The second product in Anesiva's pipeline, Adlea(TM), 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, acute and chronic, moderate-to-severe pain. 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 http://www.anesiva.com.

    (1)  Papa AM, Morgan R, Zempsky WT et al.  Nurse and Patient Satisfaction
         Negatively Impacted by Inadequate Peripheral Venous Access Pain
         Management in Children.  To be presented by Papa et al. at: American
         Pain Society; May 8-10, 2008; Tampa, Florida.
    (2)  Anesiva, Data on File.
    (3)  Wong DL, Baker CM. Pain in children: comparison of assessment scales.
         Pediatr Nurs. 1988;14(1):9-17.
    (4)  American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of
         Child and Family Health and American Pain Society Task Force on Pain
         in Infants, Children, and Adolescents. The assessment and management
         of acute pain in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics.
         2001;108:793-797.
    (5)  MacLean S, Obispo J, Young KD. The gap between pediatric emergency
         department procedural pain management treatments available and actual
         practice. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2007;23(2):87-93.

SOURCE Anesiva, Inc.