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Effectiveness of video game on bio- physiological parameters during intravenous cannulation among preschool children
M Jaya Rackini1, A Shanmugapriya1, Anita David1
1Faculty of Nursing, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institution (DU), Porur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600116, India.
Insights
Video games effectively reduce pain and physiological distress in preschool children during intravenous cannulation. This distraction technique significantly lowers perceived pain and stabilizes vital signs like heart rate and oxygen saturation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Child Psychology
- Medical Intervention Efficacy
Background:
- Hospitalization presents unique stressors for young children unable to comprehend the experience.
- Distraction techniques, such as video games, aim to divert children's attention from painful medical procedures.
- Intravenous cannulation is a common, often distressing, procedure for hospitalized preschool children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of video games in mitigating pain during intravenous cannulation in preschool children.
- To assess the impact of video game intervention on bio-physiological parameters (heart rate, oxygen saturation) in pediatric patients.
- To compare pain perception and physiological responses between children using video games and a control group.
Main Methods:
- A randomized true experimental research design was employed.
- Preschool children admitted to a pediatric ward were randomly assigned to either a video game intervention group or a control group.
- Data on pain levels and bio-physiological parameters were collected before, during, and after intravenous cannulation and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Main Results:
- A significant difference was observed in mean oxygen saturation between pre-test and post-test for both groups.
- The control group reported significantly more instances of severe pain during the intervention compared to the video game group.
- While oxygen saturation was higher in the control group (though not significant), heart rate was significantly elevated in the control group during the procedure.
Conclusions:
- Video games serve as an effective distraction method for reducing pain perception in children undergoing intravenous cannulation.
- The intervention of playing video games during the procedure demonstrably reduced pain and normalized bio-physiological responses.
- This study supports the integration of video game-based interventions to improve the experience of pediatric patients during painful medical procedures.
Abstract:
Background Hospitalization is a completely new experience for infants and young children; they are too young to understand the stress of hospitalization. Distractions or diversions seek to divert the child's attention to interesting or challenging tasks to draw attention away from painful or distressful medical procedure. Therefore, the present study assesses the effectiveness of video game on bio-physiological parameters during intravenous cannulation among preschool children admitted in paediatric ward. Methods A randomized true experimental research design was used to assess the effectiveness of video game technique on pain and bio-physiological parameters during Intravenous Cannulation among preschool children admitted in paediatric ward at Sri Ramachandra Hospital in Chennai. The collected data were grouped and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, to assess the effectiveness of video games. Results There was a significant difference in the mean score of oxygen saturation of post-test compare to pre-test for both groups. The number of children feeling severe pain was more in the control group during intervention and this difference was highly significant. Oxygen saturation was more in control but not significant, but the heart rate was significantly higher in control group during intervention. There was no association during pre- post-test and oxygen saturation, with selected demographic variables of the preschool children in both groups, apart from the fact that children from low income group had significant low heart rate during pre- and post-test Discussion Video game is an effective method in reducing pain in children undergoing intravenous cannulation. In this framework, the intervention (showing video game) reduced perception of pain and changes in bio-physiological parameters such as, heart rate and oxygen saturation, during intravenous cannulation.
