Respiration and Applied Tension Strategies to Reduce Vasovagal Reactions to Blood Donation

NCT03159156 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: MOP-133459
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 408
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

For a number of years, researchers have examined the effects of the muscle-tensing technique, Applied Tension (AT), on blood donation-related vasovagal symptoms and donor retention. AT was developed originally to reduce symptoms and avoidance behaviour in people with strong fears of blood and needles (phobics). It was based on the idea that exercise-related increases in blood pressure might be able to counteract the effects of stimuli that lead to a decrease in delivery of blood to the brain. AT was adapted for non-phobic blood donors and significant reductions in self-reported vasovagal symptoms and the need for nurse-initiated treatment as well as increases in donor retention were observed in some groups. That said, individual response to AT is quite variable. This is probably related to recent research indicating that exercise-related maintenance of heart rate and blood pressure plays only a minor role in reducing vasovagal symptoms. Rather, AT appears to be working at least in part by regulating breathing and reducing the possibility of hyperventilation. Pilot results suggest that a novel intervention aimed specifically at breathing may be more effective and reliable than traditional AT. To evaluate this idea, 408 blood donors at mobile clinics in colleges and universities will be assigned randomly to four conditions. In brief, 5-minute preparation sessions using a notebook computer, donors will either learn a respiration control technique to avoid hyperventilation, AT, both, or neither. As a manipulation check and also a means of examining mechanisms of the interventions, e.g., the possibility that AT may work by regulating breathing and CO2, participants will wear non-invasive portable capnometers while they are giving blood. Outcome will also be assessed by self-report of vasovagal symptoms, observational data, and number of return visits to a blood clinic in the following year verified by the provincial blood collection agency, Héma-Québec. As a secondary aim, the research will examine possible moderating effects of pre-donation anxiety and sex. The development of simple, effective approaches to reduce vasovagal symptoms during blood donation has the potential to improve the blood donation experience and blood donor retention as well as encourage people who have never given blood to consider the procedure. It will also improve medical and dental care more generally given the use of needles in so many procedures.

Conditions

Syncope, Vasovagal

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Change in End Tidal CO2

  assessed by ambulatory monitor (capnometer)

  change in mean value during the pre-donation waiting period (registration to going to chair, approximately 30 minutes) to the mean value in the donation chair (approximately 15 minutes)

• Change in Respiration Rate

  assessed by ambulatory monitor (capnometer)

  change in mean value during the pre-donation waiting period (registration to going to chair, approximately 30 minutes) to the mean value in the donation chair (approximately 15 minutes)

• Blood Donation Reactions Inventory

  questionnaire assessing presyncopal vasovagal symptoms

  completed in the recovery area, approximately 15 minutes after blood donation

• Research Assistant Observations

  participant anxiety, fainting, whether or not treatment for a vasovagal response required, etc., noted by a research assistant

  during blood donation

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Change in Spielberger State Anxiety Scale Score

  completed just after registering at the clinic and also in the recovery area, approximately 15 minutes after blood donation, to assess change in anxiety

• Medical Fears Survey

  completed in the recovery area, approximately 15 minutes after blood donation

• Change in Systolic Blood Pressure

  measured just after registering at the clinic and also in the recovery area, approximately 15 minutes after blood donation, to assess change in blood pressure

• Change in Diastolic Blood Pressure

  measured just after registering at the clinic and also in the recovery area, approximately 15 minutes after blood donation, to assess change in blood pressure

• Change in Heart Rate

  measured just after registering at the clinic and also in the recovery area, approximately 15 minutes after blood donation, to assess change in heart rate

Study Arms (4)

Blood Donation As Usual

NO INTERVENTION

Volunteer blood donors complete assessment materials, including assessment of respiratory activity, but otherwise undergo the typical blood donation procedure.

Applied Tension

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants are taught a simple muscle tensing technique with a brief video presented on a notebook computer before giving blood. They are asked to engage in repeated gentle 5-sec on, 5-sec off cycles of whole body isometric muscle tension before and while giving blood.

Behavioral: Applied Tension

Respiration Control

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants are taught a simple respiration control technique with a brief video presented on a notebook computer before giving blood. They are asked to breathe in a gentle shallow but regular fashion aimed at reducing risk for hyperventilation before and while giving blood.

Behavioral: Respiration Control

Applied Tension/Respiration Control

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants are asked to practice both Applied Tension and Respiration Control before and while giving blood.

Behavioral: Applied Tension/Respiration Control

Interventions

Applied Tension BEHAVIORAL

Described above.

Applied Tension

Respiration Control BEHAVIORAL

Described above.

Respiration Control

Applied Tension/Respiration Control BEHAVIORAL

Described above.

Applied Tension/Respiration Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 39 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy volunteer blood donors.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• McGill University: lead
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

McGill University

Montreal, Quebec, H3A1B1, Canada

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Syncope, Vasovagal

Interventions

arcA protein, E coli

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Orthostatic Intolerance; Primary Dysautonomias; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Syncope; Unconsciousness; Consciousness Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Blaine Ditto, PhD

  Professor

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Blaine Ditto, PhD

CONTACT

514-398-6097; blaine.ditto@mcgill.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Behavioral procedures that cannot be masked to participant or others.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: The primary goal is to examine the role of hyperventilation in blood donation-related vasovagal reactions and whether breathing is influenced by two treatments (alone and in combination) for reactions. The study will examine the clinical impact of these treatments but this is not the primary goal of the project.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 15, 2017
• First Posted: May 18, 2017
• Study Start: September 15, 2015
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2018
• Study Completion: May 31, 2018
• Last Updated: May 18, 2017

Record last verified: 2017-05

Locations

CA (1)