Comparative effectiveness of DistrACTION Cards and Buzzy for pain relief during intravenous infusion in preschool children in Korea: a quasi-randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of two distraction interven- tions—DistrACTION Cards and Buzzy—on pain relief in children undergoing intrave- nous infusions in the emergency department. Methods: A quasi-randomized controlled trial was conducted in children aged 4–6 years receiving intravenous infusions in a single emergency department. Participants were as- signed to the DistrACTION Cards group (n=31), Buzzy group (n=30), or control group (n=31). Pain was assessed using the pulse rate, Faces Pain Rating Scale, and Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scale. Results: Both distraction interventions significantly reduced observed pain (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scores) compared to that in the control group. The DistrAC- TION Cards group showed significantly lower pain scores than the control group during the procedure (p<.05) and demonstrated a consistent trend of pain reduction across all phases. Self-reported pain scores (Faces Pain Rating Scale) after the procedure were sig- nificantly lower in both intervention groups compared to those in the control group (p<.05); however, no significant differences were found in the extent of change between groups. No significant group differences were observed in pulse rate. Conclusion: Both DistrACTION Cards and Buzzy effectively reduced intravenous infu- sion-related pain in preschool children. DistrACTION Cards showed greater consistency than Buzzy in pain reduction as measured by the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scale, suggesting they may be considered as a preferred option in clinical practice. Fur- ther research in diverse clinical settings is needed to confirm these findings.