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Updated: Oct 4, 2025
An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain PPOP
Published on: January 27, 2010
Is tablet-based interactive distraction effective on pain and anxiety during circumcision in children? A randomized
Elif Gezginci1, Derya Suluhan2, Mehmet Bahadir Caliskan3
1Department of Surgical Nursing, University of Health Sciences Hamidiye Faculty of Nursing, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Tablet distraction significantly reduced pain and anxiety in children undergoing circumcision. This method also improved physiological parameters and satisfaction levels, offering a beneficial nonpharmacological approach.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pain Management
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Distraction is a common nonpharmacological method for managing procedural pain in children.
- Limited research exists on the efficacy of active distraction, specifically tablet-based interactive distraction, during pediatric circumcision.
- Circumcision is a common procedure associated with pain and anxiety in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of tablet-based interactive distraction on pain and anxiety in children undergoing circumcision.
- To assess the impact of tablet distraction on children's physiological parameters and satisfaction levels during circumcision.
Main Methods:
- A single-center, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial with parallel groups was conducted.
- The study included 70 children, with 35 in the tablet distraction group and 35 in the control group.
- Primary outcome: Numeric Rating Scale for pain. Secondary outcomes: State-Trait Anxiety Scale for Children, physiological parameters (pulse rate, O2 saturation), and satisfaction levels.
Main Results:
- Children in the tablet distraction group exhibited significantly lower pain scores and pulse rates during and after circumcision (P < .001).
- Oxygen saturation was significantly higher in the tablet distraction group compared to the control group (P < .001).
- Post-procedure, anxiety scores were significantly lower (P < .001), and satisfaction scores were significantly higher (P < .001) in the tablet distraction group.
Conclusions:
- Tablet-based interactive distraction is an effective nonpharmacological intervention for reducing pain and anxiety in children during circumcision.
- This distraction method positively influences children's physiological responses and enhances their overall satisfaction with the procedure.
- Interactive tablet distraction presents a valuable tool for improving the pediatric circumcision experience.
Objective:
Distraction is a nonpharmacological method commonly used during painful procedures in children. However, there are a few studies investigating the effectiveness of active distraction on pain and anxiety in children during circumcision. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of tablet-based interactive distraction on pain and anxiety in children during circumcision.
Material And Methods:
To evaluate how tablet distraction could improve children's outcomes during circumcision, a single-center, nonblinded, randomized controlled, parallel group trial research design was employed. In this study, 35 children were included in tablet distraction group, which have a control group (n ¼ 35). The primary outcome measure was the Numeric Rating Scale for pain. Secondary outcome measure was the State- Trait Anxiety Scale for Children, and other outcome variables were physiological parameters and satisfaction levels.
Results:
During and after the surgical procedure, pain scores (P < .001, P < .001, respectively) and pulse rates (P < .001, P < .001, respectively) were significantly lower in the tablet distraction group, whereas O2 saturation was higher than the control group (P < .001, P < .001, respectively). After the procedure, the anxiety scores were significantly lower in the tablet distraction group (P < .001), whereas the satisfaction scores were higher than control group (P < .001).
Conclusion:
This study concluded that the use of tablet distraction during circumcision has a positive effect on children's pain, anxiety, satisfaction levels, and physiological parameters.
