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Published on: April 14, 2016
Effects of preparatory information and distraction on children's cold-pressor pain outcomes: a randomized controlled
Tiina Jaaniste1, Brett Hayes, Carl L von Baeyer
1Pain Medicine Unit, Sydney Children's Hospital, High Street Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia. Tiina.Jaaniste@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Insights
Combining sensory preparation with distraction effectively manages children's pain intensity. Tailoring interventions to a child's coping style, particularly distraction-based, enhances pain tolerance during medical procedures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Pain Management
- Medical Education
Background:
- Children often experience significant pain during medical procedures.
- Effective pain management strategies are crucial for pediatric patient care.
- Understanding the interplay of psychological interventions is key to improving outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the combined effect of sensory information and distraction on children's pain.
- To determine if a distraction-based coping style influences pain management effectiveness.
- To identify optimal preparation strategies for minimizing procedural pain in children.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-eight children (7-12 years) received sensory information or control instructions.
- Participants were randomly assigned to receive distraction (imagery) or no distraction.
- Pain was measured via immersion tolerance, self-reported intensity, and facial responses.
Main Results:
- Sensory preparation reduced pain intensity when combined with distraction.
- Distraction alone did not significantly impact pain tolerance.
- Children with a distraction coping style showed greater tolerance when this style was supported.
Conclusions:
- A combination of sensory preparation and distraction is more effective for managing children's pain intensity.
- Matching interventions to a child's coping style can improve pain tolerance.
- These findings offer practical strategies for preparing children for painful medical events.
Abstract:
This experimental study investigated whether preparatory sensory information was more effective in managing children's pain when coupled with a distraction technique. Seventy-eight children aged 7-12 years were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 experimental conditions. They were given either a detailed sensory description of an imminent painful event (cold-pressor arm immersion in 10 degrees C water) or control instructions lacking sensory information. During the cold-pressor task, half the sample received an imagery-based distraction intervention. Pain measures included immersion tolerance, self-reported pain intensity, and facial pain responses. Self-reported coping style was assessed using the Pain Coping Questionnaire [Reid, G. J., Gilbert, C. A., & McGrath, P. J. (1998). The pain coping questionnaire: Preliminary validation. Pain, 76, 83-96]. The effects of information provision interacted with distraction for pain intensity but not pain tolerance. Children given sensory preparation reported less intense pain when this was coupled with distraction than when it was not. Children with a distraction-based coping style showed greater tolerance when assigned to a condition congruent with their coping style. These findings suggest ways to better prepare children for painful medical procedures.
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