Effect of Active Distraction on Children’s Pain and Behavioral Response during Intravenous Catheter Insertion

ABSTRACT

Background

Relief of pain and suffering is an important responsibility of nurses caring for children, and intravenous cannula insertions is the most common sources of pain in hospitalized children. Distraction is recommended to help in minimizing the discomfort of painful procedures. The aim of the study is to examine the effects of pressing a soft ball on children’s behavioral response and pain level during and after intravenous catheter insertion. Methods: Research design Quasi-experimental design was used. Setting: The study was conducted at surgical ward at pediatric hospital, Zagazig university hospitals. Sample: A convenient sample of 100 children aged 4–10 years. Tools: Four tools were used to collect the study data: (I): Demographic data (child’s age, gender, birth order and cause of surgery). (II): Vital signs sheet (heart rate and respiratory rate) measured before and after intravenous cannula insertion in both intervention and control groups. (III): Behavioral response scale “FLACC” included five criteria (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability). (IV): Wong–Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS) to assess children’s pain. Findings: After performing the procedure 46% of intervention group experienced moderate pain, compared to 56% of the control group. Statistically significant correlation between children behavioral response and pain score in both intervention and control groups (P = 0.001, P = 0.01) respectively. Highly statistically significant correlation between respiratory rate after intervention and children face rating scale in intervention group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: the study concluded that pressing a soft ball is an effective and easily accessible technique to decrease pain during IVCI in children between 4 years and 10 years. Practice implication: The results have implication for how health care professionals should implement distraction techniques to relieve children’s pain during painful invasive procedures such as IVCI.

KEYWORDS:

• Distraction
• children’s pain
• behavioral response

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shimmaa Moustafa

Shimmaa Moustafa, Assistant professor of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Zagazig University, Egypt Assistant Professor, Nursing Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Bisha, KSA.