The effects of audiovisual distraction on children's pain during laceration repair

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effects of audiovisual distraction on pain in children during laceration repair in emergency room settings. This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Eighty-four children aged 3–10 years were randomized to either the experimental group or the control group. Pain response was assessed by the Faces Pain Rating Scale, a visual analogue scale and the Procedure Behaviour Checklist. We measured salivary cortisol levels as a physiological pain response. The results showed that the sensory and affective pain responses were significantly lower in magnitude in the experimental group than in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in physiological pain responses between the two groups. Audiovisual distraction might be a helpful method to reduce children's pain during laceration repair in emergency room settings.