The Effect of a Cartoon and an Information Video About Intravenous Insertion on Pain and Fear in Children Aged 6 to 12 Years in the Pediatric Emergency Unit: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Intravenous insertion is the most common invasive procedure made for administering intravascular fluid and medicine. Peripheral venous catheterization may cause pain, fear, and stress in children. This study aimed to compare the effects of watching a cartoon and an information video about intravenous insertion on the pain and fear levels of children aged 6-12 years.

Methods: The study was an experimental, randomized controlled clinical trial. It was conducted with 477 children aged 6-12 years randomized into 3 groups: the informative animated video group, the cartoon group, and the control group. Fear and pain perception were evaluated on the basis of the feedback from the child, observer nurse, and parents. The Children's Fear Scale was used to evaluate the fear level and the Wong-Baker FACES Scale was used to assess pain levels. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, the chi-square test, and the intraclass correlation coefficient test.

Results: The children who watched the information video before the intravenous insertion procedure and those who watched a cartoon during the procedure had lower mean pain and fear scores as evaluated by the child (pain: F = 278.67, P = 0.001; fear: F = 294.88, P = 0.001), parent (pain: F = 279.53, P = 0.001; fear: F = 294.47, P = 0.001), and nurse (pain: F = 286.88, P = 0.001; fear: F = 300.81, P = 0.001) than children in the control group.

Discussion: This study showed that watching an animation video or a cartoon was effective in lowering children's perceived level of pain and fear during an intravenous insertion intervention.