title: A Comparison of Nonpharmacologic Interventions on the Emotional State of Children in the Emergency Department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The majority of children and adolescents presenting to the emergency department are in pain and require painful procedures. This randomized study was to investigate the efficacy of 3 different nonpharmacologic interventions (clowns, dogs, and musicians) to reduce pain and analyze the perception of positive and negative affects after the presence of these activities in a short-stay observation unit (SSOU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were composed of 105 children (54 boys and 51 girls; aged 3-16 years) assigned randomly to an experimental group (N = 57) that was composed of patients who were present in the SSOU. They received one of the following nonpharmacologic interventions: clowns (n = 18), dogs (n = 24), or musicians (n = 15) or they were assigned to a control group (CG) (N = 48) that consists of the patients who were present in the SSOU without the presence of nonpharmacologic interventions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences among the groups did not emerge; in fact, the 3 interventions have a similar influence in a different way on a child's well-being. No significant main effect about pain emerged for both groups across age and sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of different nonpharmacologic interventions (clowns, dogs, and musicians) seemed to empower positive affect in children but did not influence the self-reported pain.
authors.affiliation: From the Pain Therapy & Palliative Care and.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vagnoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ciucci
authors.affiliation: From the Pain Therapy & Palliative Care and.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vernucci
authors.affiliation: From the Pain Therapy & Palliative Care and.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lachi
authors.affiliation: From the Pain Therapy & Palliative Care and.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Messeri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome