Tablet Distraction for Pain Control During Venipuncture

Venipuncture is one of the painful procedures most frequently performed in children. Pain and distress management in children, during needle related procedures, is warranted. The base for pain management starts with behavioural and environmental support and distraction. Distraction is a cognitive strategy trying to divert the child's attention from a noxious stimulus. Active distraction involves the child in a different performance, e.g. playing, during pain procedures. Passive distraction redirects the child's attention to visual or auditory stimuli using toys, songs, movies or blowing bubbles. Blood-drawing centre is a peculiar setting in which many procedures have to be performed in a limited time. Patients usually arrive without a pharmacological premedication and go away immediately after procedure. In this context distraction is an excellent pain relief tool. The aim of the study is to compare the effectiveness of an active distraction (playing a videogame using a computer tablet) with a passive distraction technique in pain relief during venipuncture in a blood-drawing centre.