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Distraction techniques in children during venipuncture: an Italian experience
1Health Sciences Department, University of Genoa, Italy. Annamaria.bagnasco@unige.it
Insights
Audiovisual distraction significantly reduces pain and improves cooperation in children during venepuncture. This cost-effective technique enhances patient comfort and trust during medical procedures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Pain Management
- Medical Procedures
Background:
- Venepuncture is a common, yet distressing, procedure for chronically-ill children.
- Fear, pain, and anxiety are prevalent during venepuncture, impacting cooperation.
- Early pain experiences may influence long-term pain responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of audiovisual distraction during venepuncture in children.
- To assess the impact of this technique on pain perception and cooperation.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 203 pediatric patients aged 2-15 years.
- Audiovisual distraction was employed during venepuncture for the intervention group.
- Validated scales measured pain and parent collaboration.
Main Results:
- Patients using audiovisual distraction reported significantly lower pain scores (2.53) compared to the control group (5.22).
- Cooperation levels were higher in the audiovisual distraction group (0.38) versus the control group (0.20).
- Parental presence did not significantly alter pain scores but positively impacted cooperation.
Conclusions:
- Audiovisual distraction is an effective method for managing pain and enhancing cooperation in children during venepuncture.
- The technique is cost-effective and beneficial for building trust between healthcare providers and children.
- Implementing audiovisual distraction can improve the overall experience of pediatric patients undergoing venepuncture.
Introduction:
Venepuncture in chronically-ill patients is one of the invasive procedures most frequently repeated during the day. Most children are frightened and anxious before this procedure, and during venepuncture they cry, suffer pain and refuse to cooperate, whereas parents are often worried and do not know how to help. Studies suggest that the first experiences of pain in neonatal age can be associated with altered reactions to pain during childhood and in adulthood.
Methods:
Our sample included 203 patients aged between 2 and 15 years. During venepuncture a video was shown to the patient. Pain and parent collaboration were measured using validated scales.
Results:
Significant differences were observed between the mean score of pain in patients undergoing venepuncture with audiovisual distracting technique (2.53 +/- 1.76) and the mean score obtained in those undergoing venepuncture without this technique (5.22 +/- 2.53). In the group with audio-video distractors, the mean level of cooperation was 0.38 (SD = 0.63) compared to 0.20 (SD = 0.54) in the control group. In relation to the presence of parents, no significant differences were found in the mean pain scores (P = 0,5 > 0,05), whereas the mean scores of cooperation were significantly different (P = 0.0076 < 0.05)
Discussion:
Audio-visual distraction effectively improved pain management and favoured children's cooperation during venepuncture. This technique is cost-effective, so it can be widely used for pain management and to promote cooperation with the child, two aspects that are of key importance in building a relationship of trustworthiness
