The Effect of Distraction Technique on the Pain of Dressing Change among 3-6 Year-old Children

Background Burn dressings, debridement, surgical incisions, skin grafting and physical therapy are some of painful treatments of burn. According to the studies, distraction techniques have a significant effect on patients' pain. The present study was designed and conducted to determine the effect of distraction on pain of dressing change in second degree burn in 3-6 year-old children. Materials and Methods This randomized controlled trial study, was conducted on 80 hospitalized children with second degree burn in 2015. Playing a video computer game for children during the dressing change procedure was the intervention for the interventional group. Also the intensity of pain was measured by behavioral pain scale for children (FLCC scale) during dressing. This scale was completed for patients without no intervention in the control group during dressing. Results Pain intensity mean in the interventional group (2.575 +/- 1.807) had significant changes in comparison with the control group (8.025 +/- 1.187) (P<0.001). 70% of children in the control group experienced severe pain due to dressing change, but most children in the intervention group (77.5%) had a little pain. Conclusion According to the results it seems that distraction intervention has a significant positive effect on the pain of dressing change in children. Further studies are recommended for the development of this technique in health care centers.