Acceptability of a novel device to improve child patient experience during venepuncture for blood sampling: Intervention with 'MyShield'

This study aimed to explore the acceptability of a novel device ('MyShield'): a device used for distraction during clinical procedures. It is a cardboard cuff, designed to fit around the arm, either above the elbow or around the wrist and used to hide the procedure from view. This device was tested in practice, to establish acceptability to children, parents and clinical staff. Fifty-eight children tried 'MyShield' during a venepuncture procedure. Feedback from 54 children, 58 parents/carers and 16 clinical staff was collected using surveys and interviews. In 24 cases, observational data were also collected. A large majority of children (94%, n = 51) and parents (96%, n = 56) reported a positive experience when using 'MyShield'; saying they would likely use it again. Potential of 'MyShield' in promoting parent/clinician interaction with the child was highlighted. Data suggests that 'MyShield' may be a useful device for children undergoing venepuncture, when used in conjunction with standard care, and subject to individual preferences and choice. Further work is required to establish mechanism of action and whether use of 'MyShield' has any impact across a range of short- and long-term outcome measures relating to patient experience and effectiveness.

Cognitive load and the effectiveness of distraction for acute pain in children

BACKGROUND

Distraction tasks that place continuous, high demand on executive resources have been shown to reduce pain intensity and pain unpleasantness ratings in some healthy adult samples. We examined the effects of a high-demand 'working memory' 1-back task compared to a low-demand 'motor control' task on pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings in healthy children. Additionally, dispositional mindfulness was examined to explore the mechanisms of distraction on the affective processing of pain.

METHODS

Fifty-seven children (9-13 years old) experienced three randomly presented heat levels (not painful, slightly painful, moderately painful) during two distraction conditions involving different levels of cognitive load (a high load 'working memory' task and a low load 'motor' control task) in counter-balanced order. Children completed measures of dispositional mindfulness, and attentional control and emotional control.

RESULTS

As predicted, children's pain intensity and pain unpleasantness ratings were lower in the high load condition compared to the low load condition. These differences were amplified in the moderately painful heat trials. In contrast with predictions, dispositional mindfulness did not significantly predict the effectiveness of distraction. Dispositional mindfulness was significantly related to measures of children's attentional and emotional control abilities; however, an exploratory serial mediation model did not produce significant indirect or overall effects to suggest a strong influence of mindfulness on the effectiveness of distraction.

CONCLUSIONS

Results demonstrate that distraction that places higher demand on executive resources is more effective for acute pain management for children. Further research is needed to explore cognitive and affective moderators of the effectiveness of distraction for children.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study is one of the first to demonstrate that working-memory engagement can attenuate pain intensity and pain unpleasantness in children aged 9-13. The findings suggest that distraction tasks used in clinical settings for moderately painful medical procedures may benefit more children if they are adequately demanding of cognitive resources.

The use of interactive distraction technique to manage gagging during impression taking in children: a single-blind, randomised controlled trial

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of interactive distraction technique on the severity of gagging and success of impression taking in children between age 5 and 10 years.

METHODS

This single blind, randomised controlled trial recruited 48 children aged 5-10 years requiring maxillary impressions. Selected children were randomly allocated to one of the two groups: (1) Test group, use of interactive distraction, and (2) Control group, no use of interactive distraction, during impression taking. Dental anxiety was scored using Facial Image Scale (FIS) before and after impression taking. Gagging-related Impression Success Scale (GISS) and Gagging Severity Index (GSI) were recorded by a blinded assessor. Nonparametric tests were used to compare the variables between the groups.

RESULTS

Maxillary impressions were successfully recorded in all children in the Test group; either with no gag (87.5%) or with gag (12.5%). In 33.3% control children impressions could not be recorded. Statistically significant, strong association was found between the interactive distraction and GISS (p = 0.003, Cramer's V = 0.32). Mean GSI and post-impression FIS scores were significantly lesser in the Test group (p = 0.029 and p = 0.048, respectively). Significant increase in the mean FIS scores was observed after recording impression in the Control group. Post-impression FIS showed significant positive correlation with GSI (Test: p = 0.003, Control: p = 0.009) and significant inverse correlation with GISS (Test: p = 0.003, Control: p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Interactive distraction technique used in this study is a simple, non-invasive and cost-effective method to effectively manage gagging and successfully record a maxillary impression in children between age 5 and 10 years.

Reducing pain and distress related to needle procedures in children with cancer: A clinical practice guideline

BACKGROUND

Children with cancer often undergo long treatment trajectories involving repeated needle procedures that potentially cause pain and distress. As part of a comprehensive effort to develop clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to address pain prevention and management in children with cancer, we aimed to provide recommendations on the pharmacological and psychological management of procedure-related pain and distress.

METHODS

Of the international inter-disciplinary CPG development panel (44 individuals), two working groups including 13 healthcare professionals focused on procedural pain and distress. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology was used, including the use of systematic literature reviews to inform recommendations and the use of evidence to decision frameworks. At an in-person meeting in February 2018, the guideline panel discussed these frameworks and formulated recommendations which were then discussed with a patient-parent panel consisting of 4 survivors and 5 parents.

RESULTS

The systematic reviews led to the inclusion of 48 randomised controlled trials (total number of participants = 2271). Quality of evidence supporting the recommendations ranged from very low to moderate. Strong recommendations were made for the use of topical anesthetics in all needle procedures, for offering deep sedation (DS)/general anesthesia (GA) to all children undergoing lumbar puncture, for the use of DS/ GA in major procedures in children of all ages, for the use of hypnosis in all needle procedures and for the use of active distraction in all needle procedures.

CONCLUSION

In this CPG, an evidence-based approach to manage procedure-related pain and distress in children with cancer is presented. As children with cancer often undergo repeated needle procedures during treatment, prevention and alleviation of procedure-related pain and distress is of the utmost importance to increase quality of life in these children and their families.

Video game distraction and anesthesia mask practice reduces children's preoperative anxiety: A randomized clinical trial

PURPOSE

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of combined video game distraction and anesthesia mask exposure and shaping intervention as compared to conventional preoperative preparation on the preoperative anxiety, anesthesia induction compliance and emergence delirium of children undergoing day-case surgery.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The CONSORT guidelines were followed in the current study; a randomized clinical trial, two groups, pre posttest, between subjects design with 1:1 allocation ratio was employed. Children (5-11 years of age; N = 128) admitted for day case surgery were invited to participate in the study. Sixty-four children were assigned to the intervention group receiving combined videogame distraction and anesthesia mask exposure and shaping intervention, and 64 children were assigned to the control group.

RESULTS

The results showed that children in the intervention group reported statistically significant lower anxiety scores than the children in the control group at three preoperative points of time: postintervention t = 4.48, p < .001, at the time of transfer to the operation room t = 10.18; p < .001 and during anesthesia induction t = 7.76; p < .001. In addition, compared with the children in the control group, fewer children in the intervention group demonstrated poor anesthesia induction compliance χ²  = 3.91; p = .04. The results, however, did not reveal statistically significant differences in children's emergence delirium scores.

PRACTICE IMPLICATION

Combined video game distraction and anesthesia mask exposure and shaping are simple, safe, and time-effective intervention that the nurses can implement at the day of surgery to mitigate children anxiety and to enhance their anesthesia induction compliance.

Feasibility and acceptability of an animatronic duck intervention for promoting adaptation to the in-patient setting among pediatric patients receiving treatment for cancer

BACKGROUND

During cancer treatment, children undergo potentially stressful hospitalizations and procedures. Animatronic devices are a promising means of distraction intervention. This study aimed to assess acceptability and feasibility of the My Special Aflac Duck® (MSAD) intervention among pediatric oncology patients and parents. We hypothesized that MSAD would be feasible to implement, have greater than 50% acceptance, and be useful distraction.

PROCEDURES

This feasibility study enrolled oncology patients aged 3-11 years admitted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta between May and August 2018. Patients were exposed to MSAD for 3 days and completed quantitative and qualitative assessments of acceptability. Patient and hospital data were abstracted.

RESULTS

Seventeen (80.9%) of 21 eligible patients enrolled; 64.7% were <7 years, 47% were female, 52.9% had leukemia, 41.2% had solid tumors, and 5.9% had brain tumors. Patients had 1-12 previous admissions (mean 4.8, SD 3.1) and approximately 65% were planned hospitalizations. Approximately 69% reported MSAD helped reduce in-patient distress and 93.7% were satisfied with MSAD overall. Child satisfaction was high. There were no significant differences in acceptability or satisfaction with MSAD based on age, gender, number of inpatient procedures or previous hospitalizations, or hospitalization reason. Qualitative interviews revealed patients liked expressing feelings with tokens and thought MSAD was a fun distraction.

CONCLUSIONS

MSAD implementation was feasible, and its acceptability was high among both patients and parents. MSAD shows potential as good distraction and an alternative means of communicating feelings. Future research should expand upon the effectiveness of MSAD on reducing distress.

Reducing pain in children with cancer: Methodology for the development of a clinical practice guideline

Although pain is one of the most prevalent and bothersome symptoms children with cancer experience, evidence-based guidance regarding assessment and management is lacking. With 44 international, multidisciplinary healthcare professionals and nine patient representatives, we aimed to develop a clinical practice guideline (following GRADE methodology), addressing assessment and pharmacological, psychological, and physical management of tumor-, treatment-, and procedure-related pain in children with cancer. In this paper, we present our thorough methodology for this development, including the challenges we faced and how we approached these. This lays the foundation for our clinical practice guideline, for which there is a high clinical demand.

Psychological interventions for needle-related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

This is the second update of a Cochrane Review (Issue 4, 2006). Pain and distress from needle-related procedures are common during childhood and can be reduced through use of psychological interventions (cognitive or behavioral strategies, or both). Our first review update (Issue 10, 2013) showed efficacy of distraction and hypnosis for needle-related pain and distress in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of psychological interventions for needle-related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched six electronic databases for relevant trials: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); MEDLINE; PsycINFO; Embase; Web of Science (ISI Web of Knowledge); and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). We sent requests for additional studies to pediatric pain and child health electronic listservs. We also searched registries for relevant completed trials: clinicaltrials.gov; and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (www.who.int.trialsearch). We conducted searches up to September 2017 to identify records published since the last review update in 2013.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included peer-reviewed published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with at least five participants per study arm, comparing a psychological intervention with a control or comparison group. Trials involved children aged two to 19 years undergoing any needle-related medical procedure.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors extracted data and assessed risks of bias using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool. We examined pain and distress assessed by child self-report, observer global report, and behavioral measurement (primary outcomes). We also examined any reported physiological outcomes and adverse events (secondary outcomes). We used meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of identified psychological interventions relative to a comparator (i.e. no treatment, other active treatment, treatment as usual, or waitlist) for each outcome separately. We used Review Manager 5 software to compute standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and GRADE to assess the quality of the evidence.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 59 trials (20 new for this update) with 5550 participants. Needle procedures primarily included venipuncture, intravenous insertion, and vaccine injections. Studies included children aged two to 19 years, with few trials focused on adolescents. The most common psychological interventions were distraction (n = 32), combined cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT; n = 18), and hypnosis (n = 8). Preparation/information (n = 4), breathing (n = 4), suggestion (n = 3), and memory alteration (n = 1) were also included. Control groups were often 'standard care', which varied across studies. Across all studies, 'Risk of bias' scores indicated several domains at high or unclear risk, most notably allocation concealment, blinding of participants and outcome assessment, and selective reporting. We downgraded the quality of evidence largely due to serious study limitations, inconsistency, and imprecision.Very low- to low-quality evidence supported the efficacy of distraction for self-reported pain (n = 30, 2802 participants; SMD -0.56, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.33) and distress (n = 4, 426 participants; SMD -0.82, 95% CI -1.45 to -0.18), observer-reported pain (n = 11, 1512 participants; SMD -0.62, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.23) and distress (n = 5, 1067 participants; SMD -0.72, 95% CI -1.41 to -0.03), and behavioral distress (n = 7, 500 participants; SMD -0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04). Distraction was not efficacious for behavioral pain (n = 4, 309 participants; SMD -0.33, 95% CI -0.69 to 0.03). Very low-quality evidence indicated hypnosis was efficacious for reducing self-reported pain (n = 5, 176 participants; SMD -1.40, 95% CI -2.32 to -0.48) and distress (n = 5, 176 participants; SMD -2.53, 95% CI -3.93 to -1.12), and behavioral distress (n = 6, 193 participants; SMD -1.15, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.53), but not behavioral pain (n = 2, 69 participants; SMD -0.38, 95% CI -1.57 to 0.81). No studies assessed hypnosis for observer-reported pain and only one study assessed observer-reported distress. Very low- to low-quality evidence supported the efficacy of combined CBT for observer-reported pain (n = 4, 385 participants; SMD -0.52, 95% CI -0.73 to -0.30) and behavioral distress (n = 11, 1105 participants; SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.67 to -0.14), but not self-reported pain (n = 14, 1359 participants; SMD -0.27, 95% CI -0.58 to 0.03), self-reported distress (n = 6, 234 participants; SMD -0.26, 95% CI -0.56 to 0.04), observer-reported distress (n = 6, 765 participants; SMD 0.08, 95% CI -0.34 to 0.50), or behavioral pain (n = 2, 95 participants; SMD -0.65, 95% CI -2.36 to 1.06). Very low-quality evidence showed efficacy of breathing interventions for self-reported pain (n = 4, 298 participants; SMD -1.04, 95% CI -1.86 to -0.22), but there were too few studies for meta-analysis of other outcomes. Very low-quality evidence revealed no effect for preparation/information (n = 4, 313 participants) or suggestion (n = 3, 218 participants) for any pain or distress outcome. Given only a single trial, we could draw no conclusions about memory alteration. Adverse events of respiratory difficulties were only reported in one breathing intervention.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We identified evidence supporting the efficacy of distraction, hypnosis, combined CBT, and breathing interventions for reducing children's needle-related pain or distress, or both. Support for the efficacy of combined CBT and breathing interventions is new from our last review update due to the availability of new evidence. The quality of trials and overall evidence remains low to very low, underscoring the need for improved methodological rigor and trial reporting. Despite low-quality evidence, the potential benefits of reduced pain or distress or both support the evidence in favor of using these interventions in clinical practice.

The Effectiveness of Distraction as Procedural Pain Management Technique in Pediatric Oncology Patients: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review

CONTEXT

Diagnostic tests and treatment regimens for pediatric cancers involve invasive and painful procedures. Effective management of such pain has been shown to be suboptimal in many parts of the world, often because of the cost and limited availability of appropriate medications. Current evidence suggests that distraction (a relatively low-cost technique) is a promising intervention for procedural pain management. There is, however, limited evidence demonstrating its effectiveness in pediatric oncology patients.

OBJECTIVES

A systematic review was conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of distraction as a procedural pain management technique in pediatric oncology patients.

METHODS

Using a comprehensive search strategy, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, AMED, CINAHL, Web of Science, and EMBASE electronic databases were searched for studies comparing distraction techniques to standard care/any intervention. Using the selected studies, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted.

RESULTS

Two hundred ninety-nine studies were identified, with seven randomized control trials identified as eligible for inclusion. Pain was assessed using self-report, observer-report, and physiological measures. A meta-analysis of four studies showed distraction as effective in reducing procedural pain, based on self-reported pain. A meta-analysis of three studies, based on pulse rates, demonstrated similar results. For observer-reported pain, limited evidence supported the effectiveness of distraction.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review demonstrates that distraction is a promising intervention for procedural pain. Future research should assess effectiveness of distraction in varied populations, to explore evidence of cultural influences on pain expression, measurement, and management approaches.

The Effects of Child Life Specialists on Success Rates of Intravenous Cannulation

BACKGROUND

Child life specialists (CLS) work with children directly to minimize long-term psychological sequelae of traumatic or medical events such as intravenous cannulation. There has been little done to measure how CLS impact outcomes of medical procedures. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of interventions by CLS upon successful attainment of intravenous (IV) cannulation among pediatric patients in the emergency department setting.

METHOD

This was an eight month retrospective review within an urban tertiary-care freestanding pediatric Emergency Department (ED), using nursing and CLS documentation of ED patients younger than 21years who underwent IV cannulation. CLS self selected which children received procedural support, and the duration of CLS staffing was not a full 24h. Children with CLS documentation were compared against those without documented interventions by CLS. IV cannulation success and number of IV cannulation attempts were the primary outcomes. Confounding variables such as location of intravenous site, intravenous gauge, and professional qualifications were added. Chi-square determined the impact of CLS on primary outcomes. Logistic regression examined the association between successful IV cannulation with age.

RESULTS

In all, 5460 children had documented IV cannulation, and 240 of those received CLS intervention. CLS intervention was not associated with IV cannulation success (p=0.5). The only significant association for successful IV cannulation was intravenous site (p<0.001). There was no interaction effect between patient age and CLS (p=0.12).

CONCLUSION

Interventions by CLS do not affect the procedural outcome of intravenous cannulation success. Benefits of CLS are likely better measured in psychological impact of anxiolysis and improved experience, rather than in procedural outcome.

Effects of Distraction on Pain, Fear, and Distress During Venous Port Access and Venipuncture in Children and Adolescents With Cancer

This study evaluates the effect of self-selected distracters (ie, bubbles, I Spy: Super Challenger book, music table, virtual reality glasses, or handheld video games) on pain, fear, and distress in 50 children and adolescents with cancer, ages 5 to 18, with port access or venipuncture. Using an intervention-comparison group design, participants were randomized to the comparison group (n = 28) to receive standard care or intervention group (n = 22) to receive distraction plus standard care. All participants rated their pain and fear, parents rated participant fear, and the nurse rated participant fear and distress at 3 points in time: before, during, and after port access or venipuncture. Results show that self-reported pain and fear were significantly correlated (P = .01) within treatment groups but not significantly different between groups. Intervention participants demonstrated significantly less fear (P <.001) and distress (P = .03) as rated by the nurse and approached significantly less fear (P = .07) as rated by the parent. All intervention parents said the needlestick was better because of the distracter. The authors conclude that distraction has the potential to reduce fear and distress during port access and venipuncture.

Holistic Comfort Interventions for Pediatric Nursing Procedures: A Systematic Review

Comfort interventions for children during invasive nursing procedures have been well documented in the literature. It is important, however, to distinguish between the provision of holistic comfort management and pain alleviation. Holistic comfort focuses on treating the child’s whole procedural experience and includes more than simply reducing pain. In this literature review, 33 intervention studies were examined. These studies focused on evaluating comfort effects from nursing interventions on pain, anxiety, fear, and distress. Four themes of procedural comfort intervention emerged: music therapy, amusement and entertainment, caregiver facilitation, and a multifaceted approach. Important findings of this review, gaps in the literature, and implications for future research are discussed.

A review of supportive care interventions to manage distress in young children with cancer and parents

BACKGROUND

There is a positive relationship between parent and young child distress during cancer treatment. Dimensions of parent/child distress are multifaceted and associated with family function and quality of life outcomes. A critical examination of intervention research is needed to identify how dimensions of parent/child distress and related outcomes are being addressed.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to summarize and describe supportive care intervention research for young children with cancer and parents and to discuss implications for family-based intervention research.

METHODS

This systematic review examined supportive care intervention studies with randomized and nonrandomized designs for young children with cancer (aged 3-8 years) and/or their parents published between 1991 and 2011. Twenty-two studies that met specific inclusion criteria were reviewed to determine intervention type, intervention components, targeted outcomes and findings, and whether interventions addressed child, parent, or parent/child needs.

RESULTS

Most interventions focused primarily on procedural support, followed by parent education/counseling. Most studies targeted the child or the parent alone; very few targeted parent/child dyads. Outcomes focused primarily on child distress, anxiety, and pain. Quality of life and coping were rarely measured, and no studies examined family function. This body of research is emerging, with most interventions in the developmental pilot phase and few efficacy trials.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings confirm underrepresentation of young children in supportive care intervention research and the need for more complex, family-based interventions to advance young child intervention research beyond acute, procedural distress.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The authors discuss the implications of review findings for clinical practice.

Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain

BACKGROUND

Infant acute pain and distress is commonplace. Infancy is a period of exponential development. Unrelieved pain and distress can have implications across the lifespan.  This is an update of a previously published review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 10 2011 entitled 'Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain'.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for infant and child (up to three years) acute pain, excluding kangaroo care, and music. Analyses were run separately for infant age (preterm, neonate, older) and pain response (pain reactivity, immediate pain regulation). 

SEARCH METHODS

For this update, we searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library (Issue 2 of 12, 2015), MEDLINE-Ovid platform (March 2015), EMBASE-OVID platform (April 2011 to March 2015), PsycINFO-OVID platform (April 2011 to February 2015), and CINAHL-EBSCO platform (April 2011 to March 2015). We also searched reference lists and contacted researchers via electronic list-serves. New studies were incorporated into the review. We refined search strategies with a Cochrane-affiliated librarian. For this update, nine articles from the original 2011 review pertaining to Kangaroo Care were excluded, but 21 additional studies were added.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Participants included infants from birth to three years. Only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or RCT cross-overs that had a no-treatment control comparison were eligible for inclusion in the analyses. However, when the additive effects of a non-pharmacological intervention could be assessed, these studies were also included. We examined studies that met all inclusion criteria except for study design (e.g. had an active control) to qualitatively contextualize results. There were 63 included articles in the current update.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Study quality ratings and risk of bias were based on the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and GRADE approach. We analysed the standardized mean difference (SMD) using the generic inverse variance method.

MAIN RESULTS

Sixty-three studies, with 4905 participants, were analysed. The most commonly studied acute procedures were heel-sticks (32 studies) and needles (17 studies). The largest SMD for treatment improvement over control conditions on pain reactivity were: non-nutritive sucking-related interventions (neonate: SMD -1.20, 95% CI -2.01 to -0.38) and swaddling/facilitated tucking (preterm: SMD -0.89; 95% CI -1.37 to -0.40). For immediate pain regulation, the largest SMDs were: non-nutritive sucking-related interventions (preterm: SMD -0.43; 95% CI -0.63 to -0.23; neonate: SMD -0.90; 95% CI -1.54 to -0.25; older infant: SMD -1.34; 95% CI -2.14 to -0.54), swaddling/facilitated tucking (preterm: SMD -0.71; 95% CI -1.00 to -0.43), and rocking/holding (neonate: SMD -0.75; 95% CI -1.20 to -0.30). Fifty two of our 63 trials did not report adverse events. The presence of significant heterogeneity limited our confidence in the findings for certain analyses, as did the preponderance of very low quality evidence.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence that different non-pharmacological interventions can be used with preterms, neonates, and older infants to significantly manage pain behaviors associated with acutely painful procedures. The most established evidence was for non-nutritive sucking, swaddling/facilitated tucking, and rocking/holding. All analyses reflected that more research is needed to bolster our confidence in the direction of the findings. There are significant gaps in the existing literature on non-pharmacological management of acute pain in infancy.

Procedural Preparation and Support as a Standard of Care in Pediatric Oncology

Youth with cancer undergo many repeated and invasive medical procedures that are often painful and highly distressing. A systematic review of published research since 1995 identified 65 papers (11 review articles and 54 empirical studies) that investigated preparatory information and psychological interventions for a variety of medical procedures in pediatric cancer. Distraction, combined cognitive-behavioral strategies, and hypnosis were identified as effective for reducing child pain and increasing child coping. Low- to high-quality evidence informed strong recommendations for all youth with cancer to receive developmentally appropriate preparatory information and psychological intervention for invasive medical procedures.

Systematic Review: Audiovisual Interventions for Reducing Preoperative Anxiety in Children Undergoing Elective Surgery

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effectiveness of Audiovisual (AV) interventions at reducing preoperative anxiety and its associated outcomes in children undergoing elective surgery.

METHODS

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized studies where the primary outcome was children's preoperative anxiety was conducted. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain, behavioral changes, recovery, induction compliance, satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness. The risk of bias of each study was assessed.

RESULTS

In all, 18 studies were identified. A meta-analytic approach and narrative synthesis of findings were used to summarize the results of the studies.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review suggests that AV interventions can be effective in reducing children's preoperative anxiety. Videos, multi-faceted programs, and interactive games appear to be most effective, whereas music therapy and Internet programs are less effective. While AV interventions appear potentially useful, adequately powered RCTs are required to conclusively pinpoint the components and mechanisms of the most effective AV interventions and guide practice.

Psychological interventions for needle-related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

This review is an updated version of the original Cochrane review published in Issue 4, 2006. Needle-related procedures are a common source of pain and distress for children. Our previous review on this topic indicated that a number of psychological interventions were efficacious in managing pediatric needle pain, including distraction, hypnosis, and combined cognitive behavioural interventions. Considerable additional research in the area has been published since that time.

OBJECTIVES

To provide an update to our 2006 review assessing the efficacy of psychological interventions for needle-related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents.

SEARCH METHODS

Searches of the following databases were conducted for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs): Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); MEDLINE; EMBASE; PsycINFO; the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL); and Web of Science. Requests for relevant studies were also posted on various electronic list servers. We ran an updated search in March 2012, and again in March 2013.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Participants included children and adolescents aged two to 19 years undergoing needle-related procedures. Only RCTs with at least five participants in each study arm comparing a psychological intervention group with a control or comparison group were eligible for inclusion.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors extracted data and assessed trial quality and a third author helped with data extraction and coding for one non-English study. Included studies were coded for quality using the Cochrane Risk of bias tool. Standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were computed for all analyses using Review Manager 5.2 software.

MAIN RESULTS

Thirty-nine trials with 3394 participants were included. The most commonly studied needle procedures were venipuncture, intravenous (IV) line insertion, and immunization. Studies included children aged two to 19 years, with the most evidence available for children under 12 years of age. Consistent with the original review, the most commonly studied psychological interventions for needle procedures were distraction, hypnosis, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The majority of included studies (19 of 39) examined distraction only. The additional studies from this review update continued to provide strong evidence for the efficacy of distraction and hypnosis. No evidence was available to support the efficacy of preparation and information, combined CBT (at least two or more cognitive or behavioural strategies combined), parent coaching plus distraction, suggestion, or virtual reality for reducing children's pain and distress. No conclusions could be drawn about interventions of memory alteration, parent positioning plus distraction, blowing out air, or distraction plus suggestion, as evidence was available from single studies only. In addition, the Risk of bias scores indicated several domains with high or unclear bias scores (for example, selection, detection, and performance bias) suggesting that the methodological rigour and reporting of RCTs of psychological interventions continue to have considerable room for improvement.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Overall, there is strong evidence supporting the efficacy of distraction and hypnosis for needle-related pain and distress in children and adolescents, with no evidence currently available for preparation and information or both, combined CBT, parent coaching plus distraction, suggestion, or virtual reality. Additional research is needed to further assess interventions that have only been investigated in one RCT to date (that is, memory alteration, parent positioning plus distraction, blowing out air, and distraction plus suggestion). There are continuing issues with the quality of trials examining psychological interventions for needle-related pain and distress.

Effects of distraction on negative behaviors and salivary α-amylase under mildly stressful medical procedures for brief inpatient children

Inconsistent results have been reported on the effects of distraction on negative emotions during medical procedures in infants. These differing results may be attributable to the fact that the effects are apparent under a mildly stressful medical procedure. A total of 17 infants, 18 preschoolers, and 15 school-aged children who were hospitalized were administered, monitoring for vital signs, a mildly stressful medical procedure, by a nurse in a uniform with attractive character designs as a distractor. Consistent with the hypothesis, participating infants showed fewer negative behaviors and lower salivary α-amylase levels when distracted. The results support the efficacy of distraction in infants under a mildly stressful medical procedure.

Improving pediatric compliance with EEG: decreasing procedural anxiety and behavioral distress

Behavioral distress in EEG can be a barrier to medical care, and behavioral interventions may be a solution. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a brief intervention to decrease procedural distress during an EEG. We hypothesized that children and parents who received psychoeducation and distraction interventions would exhibit less anxiety and distress during an EEG procedure, as compared to those receiving standard care, and this would not add to EEG duration. One hundred and thirty-nine children (0-6 years) and their parents referred for routine EEGs were enrolled. Data were analyzed separately for both infants and children due to differences in the presentation of psychoeducational materials. Results demonstrated less parental anxiety and less distress vocalizations during the EEG. Interestingly, the intervention did not increase the duration of the EEG. While the data suggest positive effects, study limitations raise more questions as to the feasibility and impact of psychoeducation and distraction interventions with extended medical procedures.

Case study: videogame distraction reduces behavioral distress in a preschool-aged child undergoing repeated burn dressing changes: a single-subject design

OBJECTIVE

This single-subject design study evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of passive and interactive videogame distraction on behavioral distress for a preschool-aged child receiving repeated burn dressing changes.

METHOD

A 4-year-old girl underwent 3 baseline and 10 videogame distraction sessions (5 passive and 5 interactive) using a restricted alternating treatments design. Observed behavioral distress was coded, and parents and nurses rated the child's distress and cooperative behavior.

RESULTS

Relative to baseline, behavioral distress decreased and cooperative behavior increased immediately after the onset of videogame distraction. Single Case Randomization Tests revealed significantly lower behavioral distress and greater cooperation during interactive videogame distraction relative to passive videogame distraction.

CONCLUSIONS

Interactive videogame distraction appears to be a feasible and effective pain management strategy for a preschool-aged child undergoing repeated painful medical procedures.

Distraction techniques for children undergoing procedures: a critical review of pediatric research

Pediatric patients are often subjected to procedures that can cause pain and anxiety. Although pharmacologic interventions can be used, distraction is a simple and effective technique that directs children's attention away from noxious stimuli. However, there is a multitude of techniques and technologies associated with distraction. Given the range of distraction techniques, the purpose of this article was to provide a critical assessment of the evidence-based literature that can inform clinical practice and future research. Recommendations include greater attention to child preferences and temperament as a means of optimizing outcomes and heightening awareness around child participation in health care decision making.

Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain

BACKGROUND

Infant acute pain and distress is commonplace. Infancy is a period of exponential development. Unrelieved pain and distress can have implications across the lifespan. 

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for infant and child (up to three years) acute pain, excluding breastmilk, sucrose, and music. Analyses accounted for infant age (preterm, neonate, older) and pain response (pain reactivity, pain-related regulation). 

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched CENTRAL in The Cochrane Library (2011, Issue 1), MEDLINE (1966 to April 2011), EMBASE (1980 to April 2011), PsycINFO (1967 to April 2011), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1982 to 2011), Dissertation Abstracts International (1980 to 2011) and www.clinicaltrials.gov. We also searched reference lists and contacted researchers via electronic list-serves.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Participants included infants from birth to three years. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or RCT cross-overs that had a no-treatment control comparison were eligible for inclusion in the analyses. We examined studies that met all inclusion criteria except for study design (e.g. had an active control) to qualitatively contextualize results.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We refined search strategies with three Cochrane-affiliated librarians. At least two review authors extracted and rated 51 articles. Study quality ratings were based on a scale by Yates and colleagues. We analyzed the standardized mean difference (SMD) using the generic inverse variance method. We also provided qualitative descriptions of 20 relevant but excluded studies.

MAIN RESULTS

Fifty-one studies, with 3396 participants, were analyzed. The most commonly studied acute procedures were heel-sticks (29 studies) and needles (n = 10 studies). The largest SMD for treatment improvement over control conditions on pain reactivity were: non-nutritive sucking-related interventions (preterm: SMD -0.42; 95% CI -0.68 to -0.15; neonate: SMD -1.45, 95% CI -2.34 to -0.57), kangaroo care (preterm: SMD -1.12, 95% CI -2.04 to -0.21), and swaddling/facilitated tucking (preterm: SMD -0.97; 95% CI -1.63 to -0.31). For immediate pain-related regulation, the largest SMDs were: non-nutritive sucking-related interventions (preterm: SMD -0.38; 95% CI -0.59 to -0.17; neonate: SMD -0.90, 95% CI -1.54 to -0.25), kangaroo care (SMD -0.77, 95% CI -1.50 to -0.03), swaddling/facilitated tucking (preterm: SMD -0.75; 95% CI -1.14 to -0.36), and rocking/holding (neonate: SMD -0.75; 95% CI -1.20 to -0.30). The presence of significant heterogeneity limited our confidence in the lack of findings for certain analyses.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence that different non-pharmacological interventions can be used with preterms, neonates, and older infants to significantly manage pain behaviors associated with acutely painful procedures.

Comportamento de crianças, acompanhantes e auxiliares de enfermagem durante sessão de punção venosa

Este estudo descreve o repertório comportamental de 14 crianças com diagnóstico de câncer, com idade entre 4 e 12 anos, durante um procedimento de punção venosa para quimioterapia, assim como o de seus acompanhantes e auxiliares de enfermagem. A coleta de dados foi realizada mediante observação direta com auxílio da Observation Scale of Behavior Distress. Foram utilizados três sistemas de categorias de comportamento (para as crianças, os acompanhantes e os auxiliares de enfermagem). Não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre comportamentos concorrentes e não concorrentes de crianças pré-escolares e escolares. Observou-se maior variabilidade comportamental entre acompanhantes de pré-escolares e maior frequência de comportamentos verbais dirigidos a escolares em auxiliares de enfermagem. Discute-se a necessidade da preparação psicológica para procedimentos invasivos em oncologia pediátrica.

Intervenção psicológica lúdica para o enfrentamento da hospitalização em crianças com câncer

A avaliação de estratégias de enfrentamento é um recurso importante na elaboração de técnicas de intervenção adequadas à minimização do impacto psicológico do câncer infantil. Foram avaliados os efeitos comportamentais de um programa de intervenção psicológica lúdica em 12 crianças com câncer, de 7 a 12 anos, internadas em hospital público infantil. Utilizou-se o Instrumento Informatizado de Avaliação do Enfrentamento da Hospitalização (AEHcomp) em dois grupos: G1, submetido à intervenção psicológica lúdica centrada no enfrentamento e G2, submetido ao brincar livre tradicional. Na comparação intergrupos, não houve diferenças significativas nos comportamentos facilitadores e não-facilitadores avaliados no pré e pós-teste. Na comparação intragrupo, G1 diminuiu significativamente os comportamentos não-facilitadores no pós-teste, sugerindo possível efeito positivo do programa de intervenção centrado no problema.

Review of family-based psychosocial interventions for childhood cancer

OBJECTIVE

To report the findings of a systematic review of family-based psychosocial interventions with pediatric oncology populations.

METHODS

A number of intervention studies documenting psychosocial interventions for childhood cancer populations, that incorporated multiple family members, were examined.

RESULTS

Twenty-one studies were identified that met the criteria for inclusion and provided the data necessary for synthesizing the results. Findings illustrate that multiple family members are integrated into interventions for childhood cancer in a number of ways. Considerable variation was observed regarding the family member combinations targeted and the intervention modalities employed. A minority of interventions met the criteria for empirically validated treatments; however, evidence of beneficial outcomes was observed across the majority of interventions reviewed.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of family-based psychosocial interventions in pediatric oncology. Recommendations for conducting future intervention studies are provided including the integration of qualitative methods in evaluations of family-based interventions.

Impact of Parent-Provided Distraction on Child Responses to an IV Insertion

This study evaluates the impact of parent-provided distraction on children's responses (behavioral, physiological, parent, and self-report) during an IV insertion. Participants were 542 children, 4 to 10 years old, randomized to an experimental group that received a parent distraction coaching intervention or to routine care. Experimental group children had significantly less cortisol responsivity (p = .026). Children that received the highest level of distraction coaching had the lowest distress on behavioral, parent report, and cortisol measures. When parents provide a higher frequency and quality of distraction, children have lower distress responses on most measures.

Innovative use of perianesthesia nurses in imaging services: meeting the needs of children with disabilities

A new imaging center was established within a children's specialty hospital that provides services for children and adults with childhood-onset disabilities. New services in this advanced imaging center include computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, fluoroscopy, and ultrasound. Individuals with disabilities are particularly at risk for complications during procedures requiring sedation and anesthesia. The perianesthesia nurses' role was developed to support the sedation needs of this population during imaging services. Perianesthesia nurses developed an advanced imaging screening process to prepare patients for sedation during imaging services. With these processes, the new Advanced Imaging Center is providing timelier and better coordinated imaging services.

The complexity of symptoms and problems experienced in children with cancer: a review of the literature

To adequately help children with cancer, care providers need to understand the complexity of symptoms and problems associated with the illness that children are experiencing, which can enable them to better tailor patient care individually to each child. In this integrative literature review, we identified the types of symptoms and problems that children with cancer can experience during treatment and rehabilitation; the terms/expressions they use to describe their symptoms and problems; how children's symptoms and problems vary during the course of their illness; and how they vary and co-vary with age, gender or race. Of the 1175 titles identified, 110 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Seventy-eight were research-based. A total of 219 distinct symptoms or problems were identified in the literature either as the main problem or a symptom of the main problem. There is significant evidence that children and adolescents experience numerous and complex symptoms, and problems during and after treatment for cancer. Children use many different expressions to talk about their symptom experiences. However, few articles looked at how children's symptoms and problems varied during the course of their illness or the variations in symptom severity and degree of bother, or examined the relationship between children's symptom experience and age, gender, or race. Most instruments that were used to measure symptoms were interviewer-administered questionnaires, often adaptations from adult versions, and in younger children, symptoms were often obtained from adult informants. The insights gained from this review can be helpful to researchers and clinicians who wish to better understand how symptoms and problems are experienced from the children's own perspective. However, more research is needed: to better understand differences in symptom experiences among different age groups; to identify differences among children from distinct cultural, ethnic, or socio-economic backgrounds; to clarify how symptoms and problems interfere with daily life; and to refine assessment methods that allow even younger children to communicate their symptom experiences in an age-adjusted manner.

Comparison of Two Brief Parent-Training Interventions for Child Distress During Parent-Administered Needle Procedures

This randomized clinical trial employed a 2-group (general child behavior management training vs. distraction for pain management training) design across repeated parent-administered needle procedures. Forty-seven children with a chronic illness requiring recurrent injections were observed at baseline and 2 intervention sessions. Videotaped observations of parent-child interactions were coded for child behavioral distress and parents' use of behavior management strategies. Across groups, many children displayed minimal to no distress at baseline. Among participants with significant distress, neither intervention group displayed consistently decreased procedural distress or increased use of child behavior management strategies.

Attrition in randomized controlled trials for pediatric chronic conditions

OBJECTIVE

To examine attrition variables in randomized controlled trials of cognitive behavioral interventions for children with chronic illnesses.

METHODS

We examined attrition rates reported on 40 randomized cognitive behavioral interventions published in six pediatric research journals, during the years 2002-2007. Intervention focus was limited to children with a chronic medical condition, such as asthma, obesity, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, sickle cell disease, and cystic fibrosis.

RESULTS

Mean rate of enrollment refusal was 37% (range 0-75%). Mean attrition rate was 20% (range 0-54%) for initial follow-up and 32% (range 0-59%) for extended follow-up. Of the reviewed articles, 40% included a CONSORT diagram.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies that can be used to limit attrition include tailoring recruitment to the study population, providing personalized feedback, maintaining consistent study procedures, providing incentives, and using intensive tracking measures. There is a need for standardized definitions and reporting of attrition rates in randomized cognitive behavioral intervention studies.

Effects of videogame distraction using a virtual reality type head-mounted display helmet on cold pressor pain in children

OBJECTIVE

To test whether a head-mounted display helmet enhances the effectiveness of videogame distraction for children experiencing cold pressor pain.

METHOD

Forty-one children, aged 6-14 years, underwent one or two baseline cold pressor trials followed by two distraction trials in which they played the same videogame with and without the helmet in counterbalanced order. Pain threshold (elapsed time until the child reported pain) and pain tolerance (total time the child kept the hand submerged in the cold water) were measured for each cold pressor trial.

RESULTS

Both distraction conditions resulted in improved pain tolerance relative to baseline. Older children appeared to experience additional benefits from using the helmet, whereas younger children benefited equally from both conditions. The findings suggest that virtual reality technology can enhance the effects of distraction for some children. Research is needed to identify the characteristics of children for whom this technology is best suited.

A systematic review of nonpharmacologic adjunctive therapies for symptom management in children with cancer

Symptom management in pediatric oncology remains a problem. Despite remarkable pharmacologic and surgical advances, children continue to report symptoms as the most troublesome aspect of cancer treatment. However, there are additional therapies that are not considered standard symptom management, such as acupuncture and guided imagery. These nonpharmacologic adjunctive therapies are a potential source of assistance for children with unrelenting pain, nausea, or other unpleasant symptoms due to cancer treatment. This article summarizes research studies that have examined nonpharmacologic therapies for symptom management in pediatric oncology.

Coping and adjustment in children with cancer: a meta-analytic study

The current meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of coping strategies on psychological and physical adjustment in children with cancer (n = 1230). Coping strategies were operationalized in accordance with two coping taxonomies; the first is based on the general orientation of the child's coping attempts (approach or avoidance), and the second is based upon coping efforts to regulate the stressor and/or feelings of distress attributed to it (problem-focused and emotion-focused). Approach, avoidance, and emotion-focused coping were unrelated to overall adjustment. A small-to-medium but negative association was found between problem-focused coping and adjustment, indicating more use of the strategies that compose this dimension are associated with poorer adjustment. However, homogeneity analyses also indicated significant variation for all of these effect sizes. Follow-up moderator analyses found coping-adjustment relations were both dependent upon time since diagnosis and the particular stressor the child was dealing with during treatment.

Psychological interventions for needle-related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

Needle-related procedures are a common source of pain and distress for children. Several psychological (cognitive-behavioral) interventions to help manage or reduce pain and distress are available; however, a previous comprehensive systematic review of the efficacy of these interventions has not been conducted.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral psychological interventions for needle-related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) on The Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2005), MEDLINE (1966 to 2005), PsycINFO (1887 to 2005), EMBASE (1974 to 2005), the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1982 to 2005), Web of Science (1980 to 2005), and Dissertation-Abstracts International (1980 to 2005). We also searched citation lists and contacted researchers via various electronic list-servers and via email requests.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Participants included children and adolescents aged two to 19 years undergoing needle-related procedures. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with at least five participants in each study arm comparing a psychological intervention group with a control or comparison group were eligible for inclusion.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality. Included studies were coded for quality using the Oxford Quality Scale devised by Jadad and colleagues. Standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were computed for all analyses using RevMan 4.0 software.

MAIN RESULTS

Twenty eight trials with 1951 participants were included. Together, these studies included 1039 participants in treatment conditions and 951 in control conditions. The most commonly studied needle-procedures were immunizations and injections. The largest effect sizes for treatment improvement over control conditions exist for distraction (on self-reported pain, SMD -0.24 (95% CI -0.45 to -0.04), combined cognitive-behavioral interventions--reduced other-reported distress (SMD -0.88, 95% CI -1.65 to -0.12; and behavioral measures of distress (SMD -0.67, 95% CI -0.95 to -0.38) with hypnosis being the most promising--self-reported pain (SMD -1.47, 95% CI -2.67 to -0.27), with promising but limited evidence for the efficacy of numerous other psychological interventions, such as information/preparation, nurse coaching plus distraction, parent positioning plus distraction, and distraction plus suggestion.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Overall, there is preliminary evidence that a variety of cognitive-behavioral interventions can be used with children and adolescents to successfully manage or reduce pain and distress associated with needle-related procedures. However, many of the included studies received lower quality scores because they failed to describe the randomization procedure and participant withdrawals or drop-outs from the study. Further RCTs need to be conducted, particularly for the many interventions for which we could not locate any trials.

Parent communication and child pain and distress during painful pediatric cancer treatments

Children with cancer often consider treatment procedures to be more traumatic and painful than cancer itself. Previous research indicates that parents' behavior before and during painful medical procedures influences children's distress level. Understanding parents' naturally occurring communication patterns is essential to identifying families in need of an intervention to enhance coping and emotional well-being. Using the concept of definition of the situation from a symbolic interactionism theoretical framework, this study developed a typology of parent communication patterns and tested relationships between those patterns and children's responses to potentially painful treatment procedures. Analyses are based on video-recorded observations of 31 children and their primary parents (individuals functioning in a parenting role and serving as the primary familial caregivers during the observed procedure) in the USA during clinic visits for potentially painful pediatric oncology treatments. Four communication patterns emerged: normalizing, invalidating, supportive, and distancing. The most common communication patterns differed by clinic visit phase: normalizing during pre-procedure, supportive during procedure, and both distancing and supportive during post-procedure. Parents' communication also varied by procedure type. Supportive communication was most common during lumbar punctures; normalizing and distancing communication were most common during port starts. Six children (19.4%) experienced invalidation during at least one clinic visit phase. Analyses indicated that invalidated children experienced significantly more pain and distress than children whose parents used other communication patterns. This typology provides a theoretical approach to understanding previous research and offers a framework for the continuing investigation of the influence of parents' communication during potentially painful pediatric oncology procedures.

Brief Report: Optimizing Children’s Memory and Management of an Invasive Medical Procedure: The Influence of Procedural Narration and Distraction

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the influence of two interventions on children's memory of and distress during a voiding cysto-urethrogram (VCUG, X-ray of the kidneys).

METHODS

Sixty-two children (aged 2.5-7.5 years) were allocated to one of three conditions. In one (CI + D), they received complete procedural information during the VCUG, with a cartoon video. In a second (PI + D), children received limited procedural information, with a cartoon video. In a third (standard care, PI), they received limited procedural information. VCUGs were videotaped and distress was coded using the CAMPIS-R. To assess memory, children were interviewed 1 week later.

RESULTS

Relative to the PI condition, children in the CI + D condition recalled more information, appraised the VCUG as less painful, and were less distressed. There were no differences between the PI + D and PI conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

An inexpensive, theoretically driven intervention can enhance children's memory and reduce distress during an invasive procedure.

Teaching Behavioral Pain Management to Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review of Research in Training Programs

Pain is a common and potentially debilitating condition. Whereas there is vast literature on developmentally appropriate behavioral techniques for pain management, results of curriculum evaluations and knowledge surveys reveal a dearth of awareness of these strategies in healthcare professionals. As a result, the development and evaluation of pain management training programs are important endeavors. Results of studies evaluating such programs are promising and suggest that training might be an effective means of impacting healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and even patient care. These results must be interpreted with caution, however, because the literature contains several conceptual and methodologic limitations. These limitations, in combination with the wide diversity in program components, format of delivery, and research methods, preclude definitive conclusions on the most practical and effective means to provide training. To address this question, further systematic work on the development and evaluation of pain management training programs is warranted.

PERSPECTIVE

To address the problems of dissemination of behavioral pain management techniques, the development and evaluation of pain management training programs are important endeavors. The current article presents a systematic review of studies evaluating such programs and provides recommendations for future systematic work in this area.

A comparison of distraction strategies for venipuncture distress in children

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of two pediatric venipuncture distress-management distraction strategies that differed in the degree to which they required children's interaction.

METHODS

Eighty-eight 1- to 7-year-old children receiving venipuncture were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: interactive toy distraction, passive movie distraction, or standard care. Distress was examined via parent, nurse, self-report (children over 4 years), and observational coding. Engagement in distraction was assessed via observational coding.

RESULTS

Children in the passive condition were more distracted and less distressed than children in the interactive condition. Although children in the interactive condition were more distracted than standard care children, there were no differences in distress between these groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite literature that suggests that interactive distraction should lower distress more than passive distraction, results indicate that a passive strategy might be most effective for children's venipuncture. It is possible that children's distress interfered with their ability to interact with the distractor.

When Distraction Fails: Parental Anxiety and Children’s Responses to Distraction during Cancer Procedures

OBJECTIVE

To examine parental anxiety in the context of successful and unsuccessful distraction treatment of preschool aged children undergoing chemotherapy procedures.

METHODS

Twenty-nine children (M age = 42 months) experiencing intramuscular or portacatheter injections participated in the study. Parents and children were shown how to use a portable electronic toy as a distractor during chemotherapy injections. Parental anxiety was assessed at baseline and child distress was coded during each procedure.

RESULTS

Parents' baseline state anxiety accounted for 17% of the variance in changes in children's distress following distraction intervention. Parents of children who did not benefit from distraction reported significantly higher state anxiety at baseline than parents of the other participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight the importance of examining individual outcomes in intervention studies and suggest that parents' emotional states may moderate distraction treatment outcome in young children. Future research formally testing parent anxiety as a moderator is recommended.