Weighted Blankets May Reduce Anxiety During Infusions in Ambulatory Setting

Weighted Blankets May Reduce Anxiety During Infusions in Ambulatory Setting

Weighted blankets may be used to reduce anxiety in patients undergoing chemotherapy or immunotherapy in the ambulatory infusion setting, according to findings from an evidence-based practice project published in the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing.

“Nonpharmacologic interventions for treating anxiety are often underrecognized and underused by oncology nurses,” the study authors wrote. “Nonpharmacologic interventions often carry minimal risks and may allow for a reduction in pharmacologic treatments. The use of weighted blankets may reduce anxiety and enhance the patient’s experience during the first 2 treatment infusions.”

Findings showed that among the 50 participants in the study receiving their first and/or second chemotherapy infusions, overall anxiety levels in adults with cancer decreased with the use of weighted blankets. Use of weighted blankets promote appropriate weight and pressure distribution. In a previous study, weighted blankets were shown to reduce perceptions of chronic pain, especially in those with high-trait anxiety.

In the first pre-infusion survey for the first infusion (n = 47), most participants reported either moderate (n = 16) or very little anxiety (n = 16), followed by no anxiety (n = 10) and extreme anxiety (n = 5). After the first infusion, participants reported less anxiety, as no participants felt reported extreme anxiety, 10 participants reported moderate anxiety, 22 participants reported very little anxiety, and 14 participants reported no anxiety.

During the second infusion treatment, pre- and post-infusion surveys were completed by 29 and 28 participants, respectively. Before the second infusion, most participants reported either no (n = 11) or very little anxiety (n = 11), followed by moderate anxiety (n = 7). No participants reported extreme anxiety before the second infusion. After the second infusion, 12 participants reported no anxiety, 11 reported very little anxiety, and 5 participants reported moderate anxiety.

The study consisted of 50 adults with cancer who were receiving their first and/or second chemotherapy or immunotherapy infusions in an outpatient setting. Among the 50 participants, enrolled: 28 were female, 22 were male, and the mean age of was 64 years (range, 35-88). In addition, participants represented several types of cancer diagnoses and infusion treatment plans.

Some of the positive responses participants gave regarding the weighted blanket included the following:

• “It was relaxing, reassuring, and helps with my treatment.”
• “It was soothing and helped with my anxiety, making me feel more comfortable.”
• “It was helpful and created a calm and secure feeling.”

There were some negative comments about the weighted blanket, such as how it made them feel claustrophobic or hot. Of note, researchers recorded no adverse events linked with weighted blankets.

Five of the 7 nurses in this study completed surveys on their feelings on the usefulness of weighted blankets. All of the nurses reported that weighted blankets “did not interfere with caring for our patients” and were “easy to apply.” In the study, it was mentioned that one nurse reported, “Any perceived inconvenience was overshadowed by seeing how good it was for the patients.”

The project team considered several factors in deciding which weighted blanket to use, such as limited interference with patient care and nursing practice, ease of cleaning, weight distribution, and blanket size. The team selected weighted blankets with a specific technology that creates even pressure touch points over the body’s surface area. Blankets were sanitized by nursing staff with disposable, hospital-approved germicidal wipes between patients as a way to meet infection control standards.

As findings from this project may not be generalizable to all patients with cancer experiencing anxiety, additional experimental studies are needed to assess the potential effects of weighted blankets on patients with cancer and anxiety.

Reference

Hermann C, Corbett M, Chicko L, Cole V, Arcieri C, Jabaley T. Weighted Blanket: An Anxiety Reduction Tool in the Outpatient Oncology Infusion Setting. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2024;28(3):281-286. doi:10.1188/24.CJON.281-286‌