Psychosocial intervention on procedure-related distress in children being treated for laceration repair

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Child Psychology
• Healthcare Interventions

Background:

• Emergency department visits are highly stressful for injured children, particularly during painful procedures.
• Laceration repair in the emergency department is a common and often distressing experience for pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of preparation and distraction interventions on children's distress during laceration repair.
• To assess the effect of a child life specialist-led intervention on observed distress and parent satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study compared children receiving individualized preparation and distraction with a control group.
• Twenty-four children aged 3-13 years undergoing laceration repair in a pediatric emergency department were included.
• Intervention involved age-appropriate information and distraction techniques during the procedure.

Main Results:

• Children receiving the psychosocial intervention exhibited significantly lower distress behaviors during suturing.
• Parents of children in the intervention group perceived less distress and reported higher overall satisfaction with care.
• The intervention effectively mitigated procedure-related distress in pediatric emergency department patients.

Conclusions:

• Psychosocial interventions, including preparation and distraction, are effective in reducing distress during painful procedures for children.
• These findings highlight the importance of supporting children and families in the emergency department setting.
• Implementing such interventions can improve the overall healthcare experience for pediatric patients and their families.