A randomized trial of a distraction-type intervention to assist in managing dressing changes for children experienced burns.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of the specially designed medical dressing screen during wound dressing changes for children aged 1-3 who experienced a burn on their hand or foot.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Methods: The study was performed, between January 2019 - April 2019, at a Burn Outpatient Ward. A total of 52 outpatient children who had suffered burns were included in the clinical trial. The burn area of these participants accounted for 1-5% of the total body surface area. The children were randomly divided into two equal-sized groups, each receiving a different treatment. In the medical screen group (N = 26), a medical screen was used for children during the dressing changes. In the control group (N = 26), the children received only regular dressing changes. Pain level of the children during dressing change was the primary outcome, the satisfaction of children's parents and wound therapist were used as second outcomes. The Bonferroni method was used to perform pairwise comparisons of repeatedly measured data at different measurement times in two groups.

Results: The results showed that the medical screen group had better outcomes with respect to pain management during dressing changes; in addition, the satisfaction score of the wound therapist and children's parents presented also better outcomes compared with the control group.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated application of the medical screen for burns can relieve the pain of 1 - 3-year old children experienced a burn during dressing changes. In addition, the application of the medical screen also increased the satisfaction of the child's parents and wound therapist. Registration NO: 1,900,020,953.

Impact: Compared with conventional dressing methods, the medical screen can be used as a novel way to decrease the negative experience of burn patients ages 1-3 who require dressing changes.