title: Parents' positioning and distracting children during venipuncture. Effects on children's pain, fear, and distress.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of parental positioning and distraction on the pain, fear, and distress of pediatric patients undergoing venipuncture. An experimental-comparison group design was used to evaluate 43 patients (20 experimental and 23 comparison) who were 4 to 11 years old. Experimental participants used parental positioning and distraction. All participants rated their pain and fear; parents and child life specialists (CLS) rated the child's fear, and CLS rated the child's distress. Self-reported pain and fear were highly correlated (p < .001) but not significantly different between the two groups. Fear rated by CLS (p < .001) and parents (p = .003) was significantly lower in experimental participants. Although no differences was found in distress between the two groups, a significant time trend was discovered (p < .001). The parental positioning-distraction intervention has the potential to enhance positive clinical outcomes with a primary benefit of decreased fear. Further research is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Children's Medical Center of Dallas, USA.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cavender
authors.forename: Melinda D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Goff
authors.forename: Ellen C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Hollon
authors.forename: Cathie E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Guzzetta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015206:Southwestern United States; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors