Related Experiment Videos
Pharmacologic and psychologic interventions for procedural pain
A E Kazak1, B Penati, P Brophy
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4399, USA.
Pediatrics
|July 4, 1998
Summary
A combined pharmacologic and psychologic intervention effectively reduced child distress during medical procedures for leukemia patients. Younger children experienced more distress, requiring tailored support.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Child Psychology
- Pain Management
Background:
- Childhood leukemia requires frequent invasive procedures.
- Procedural distress significantly impacts children and families.
- Current interventions may not fully address distress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a combined pharmacologic and psychologic intervention (CI) versus pharmacologic-only (PO) for child distress.
- To identify predictors of child distress during invasive procedures.
- To assess long-term outcomes of the interventions.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled prospective study comparing CI (n=47) and PO (n=45) interventions.
- Cross-sectional control group (n=70) of patients in remission.
- Data collected via questionnaires and ratings at 1, 6, and >12 months post-diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Combined intervention (CI) significantly lowered child and parent distress compared to pharmacologic-only (PO).
- Both CI and PO groups showed less distress than the control group.
- Younger children experienced greater distress; distress decreased over time and was linked to procedural difficulty.
Conclusions:
- Combined pharmacologic and psychologic interventions are effective in reducing procedural distress in pediatric leukemia.
- Integration of both approaches is supported.
- Younger children and procedural technical difficulty require specific attention in intervention design.