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Published on: April 14, 2016

Analgesic effect of watching TV during venipuncture

C V Bellieni1, D M Cordelli, M Raffaelli

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproduction Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. bellieni@iol.it

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|August 22, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Watching television during blood draws significantly reduced pain perception in children compared to active distraction by mothers. This passive distraction method offers a more effective approach to managing procedural pain in pediatric venipuncture.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pain Management
  • Child Psychology
  • Medical Procedures

Background:

  • Venipuncture is a common and often painful procedure for children.
  • Effective pain management strategies are crucial for improving pediatric healthcare experiences.
  • Distraction techniques are widely used to mitigate procedural pain in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the analgesic efficacy of passive versus active distraction during pediatric venipuncture.
  • To compare the pain scores reported by children and their mothers across different distraction conditions.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 69 children aged 7-12 years undergoing venipuncture.
  • Three groups were studied: control (no distraction), active maternal distraction, and passive distraction via television (TV).
  • Pain levels were assessed using self-reported scores from both children and mothers post-procedure.

Main Results:

  • Children in the TV group reported significantly lower pain levels (8.91) compared to the control (23.04) and active distraction (17.39) groups.
  • Mothers also rated pain as significantly lower in the TV group (12.17) compared to the control (21.30) and active distraction (23.04) groups.
  • Passive distraction through TV watching proved more effective in reducing perceived pain than active maternal distraction (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Passive distraction, specifically TV watching, is a more effective method for reducing venipuncture pain in children than active maternal distraction.
  • The enhanced effectiveness of TV distraction may be attributed to its immersive nature or a potential decrease in maternal anxiety during the procedure.
  • These findings suggest that passive, engaging distractions should be prioritized for managing procedural pain in pediatric settings.
Abstract

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