Reducing anxiety levels in preschool children undergoing cryotherapy for cutaneous viral warts: use of a portable video player.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if watching a children's program on a portable video player reduces anxiety levels in preschool children before cryotherapy for cutaneous viral warts.


METHODS
Nonblinded before-after trial.


METHODS
General dermatology clinic.


METHODS
Consecutive patients aged 2 to 6 years who underwent cryotherapy for cutaneous viral warts.


METHODS
Patients were shown a children's program on a portable video player before cryotherapy.


METHODS
Mean score difference on the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale between children treated during the 10 weeks before vs the 10 weeks after the intervention was implemented.


RESULTS
Ninety-nine cryotherapy sessions performed among 35 children were evaluated. Fifteen children underwent cryotherapy during the preintervention phase only, and 13 children underwent cryotherapy during the intervention phase only. The mean modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale scores were 58.4 during the preintervention phase and 37.7 during the intervention phase (P = .005). The percentages of children with a high anxiety score (≥30) were 100% (15 of 15) during the preintervention phase and 38% (5 of 13) during the intervention phase (P < .001). Another 7 children underwent cryotherapy during both the preintervention and intervention phases. Their mean modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale scores were 53.7 during the preintervention phase and 42.0 during the intervention phase (P = .03). The percentages of children with a high anxiety score were 86% (6 of 7) during the intervention phase and 43% (3 of 7) during the intervention phase (P = .25). In both groups, the time spent coaxing and treating children decreased after the intervention, but the differences were not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of a portable video player significantly reduced preprocedural anxiety levels in preschool children undergoing cryotherapy for cutaneous viral warts.
National Skin Centre, Singapore. teyhongliang111@yahoo.com
Hong Liang
HL
Tey
Eugene Sern Ting
ES
Tan
Felicia Geok Ching
FG
Tan
Kim Lian
KL
Tan
Irene Siew Heok
IS
Lim
Andy Soon Leong
AS
Tan
D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017679:Cryotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D014860:Warts / Q000628:therapy*