Journal of pediatric nursing
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
The effect of the sight of blood and use of decorative adhesive bandages on pain intensity ratings by preschool children.
A total of 70 children between the ages of 3 and 6 years participated in two studies that tested the effect of (a) the sight of blood and (b) the application of a decorated adhesive bandage on pain intensity ratings following a fingerstick. In both studies, children were randomly assigned to one of four groups. These groups allowed for the combinations of testing blood or no blood and the application of a decorated adhesive bandage or plain adhesive bandage. ⋯ Fifty outpatient children who were receiving fingersticks for preoperative or diagnostic testing were enrolled. Results indicated that there were no differences across groups, and age was only significant on the Poker Chip Tool. These results suggest that simple interventions and distractions are not sufficient to decrease perceived pain intensity ratings in young children.