Reducing Fear and Anxiety in Electrocardiography Procedures Using Distraction-Enhanced Environments in Pediatric...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Child Psychology
• Medical Intervention Efficacy

Background:

• Children experience fear and anxiety during both painful and painless medical procedures, including electrocardiography (ECG).
• Pediatric nurses must recognize and address the emotional distress children face during such procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an undersea-themed examination table cover (UTETC) on children's fear and anxiety during ECG procedures.
• To determine if a novel intervention can mitigate procedural anxiety in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• A single-center, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial involving 80 children aged 3-12 years.
• The experimental group used the UTETC during ECG, while the control group had a routine procedure.
• Data collected via video recording analysis and validated fear/anxiety scales.

Main Results:

• The UTETC group showed significantly lower levels of procedure-related fear and anxiety compared to the control group.
• Children in the experimental group completed the ECG procedure more successfully.
• No significant difference in baseline descriptive characteristics between groups.

Conclusions:

• The undersea-themed examination table cover (UTETC) is an effective intervention for reducing fear and anxiety in children undergoing ECGs.
• This simple, themed approach can improve the pediatric patient experience in emergency departments.