The Effect of Cartoon Watching During Central Venous Catheter Dressing Changes in Children With Cancer

The Effect of Cartoon Watching on Anxiety and Pain During Central Venous Catheter Dressing Changes in Children With Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Many medical interventions, including dressing change of central venous catheters, can cause anxiety and pain in children with cancer. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of cartoon watching technique on anxiety and pain during central venous catheter dressing changes in children with cancer.

This was a parallel randomized controlled trial with 80 children with cancer. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups, including 40 children in the control group and 40 children in the cartoon group.

Each child's anxiety was evaluated by the child using the Children's Fear Scale before, during and after central venous catheter dressing changes, and each child's pain during and after the procedure was evaluated by the child using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale. Each child's heart rate and oxygen saturation were measured with a pulse oximeter device before, during and after the procedure.

The children in the cartoon group started watching a cartoon of their choice 2 minutes before the procedure and they kept watching until the procedure was ended.

No intervention was performed to reduce anxiety and pain for children in the control group.

Parent was with their children during the procedure in both groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 5-12 years old
• a cancer diagnosis
• having a central venous catheter
• not having taken any analgesics in the 6 hours before the procedure
• not having any visual or auditory problems that prevent watching cartoons
• being suitable motor development and cognitive level for watching cartoons
• being a child and parent volunteering to participate in the study
• the absence of any health problems that prevent communication in the parent and the child

Exclusion Criteria:

• the reporting of pain for another reason at the time of the central venous catheter dressing changes
• being of neutropenia
• being in a terminal phase of the disease