Last month we got curious about pain and anxiety. Researchers are reporting a dramatic increase in the number of needle-phobic patients and those who express significant anxiety about needles in healthcare. So we asked our subscribers and visitors to our web site what they are using to reduce the pain and anxiety of phlebotomy on pediatric and adult patients. For pediatrics, over 70 percent of those responding said they use verbal distraction (conversing, small talk, etc,)(85