Nonpharmacological interventions for managing postoperative pain and anxiety in children: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background Hospitalizations and surgical procedures are unpleasant for both children and their parents. Therefore, postoperative pain assessments and management are less commonly performed in younger children than in adults. Purpose To evaluate the effect of nonpharmacological interventions on postoperative pain and anxiety in children. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, 160 children were randomly allocated to experimental (n=80) and control (n=80) groups. The children in the experimental group received age-appropriate distraction interventions for 3 postoperative days along with standard care. Children in the control group received standard care only. Each child was assessed for pain using EVENDOL pain scale, while their anxiety was measured using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale. The Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and repeated-measures analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Results The children in the experimental group showed significantly decreased pain, anxiety, and physiological parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation) compared to those in the control group. Significant intergroup differences were noted in the mean and standard deviation values of the pain, anxiety, and physiological parameters. Conclusion The distraction interventions provided by nurses reduced the pain and anxiety levels and improved the postoperative recovery among children.

Keywords

• anxiety
• child
• distraction
• pain
• surgical procedure