Parental Presence During Fracture Reduction in Children at the Emergency Department; A Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary

Though much attention has been given to the practice of parental presence during invasive procedures in children in the ED, few studies have examined the patient's perspective. The only study to have addressed this issue used a single visual analog scale, which is not a well validated tool to assess children's distress level. Furthermore, no studies have assessed parental presence during fracture reduction; only a few incidental cases were reported in the literature. Finally, most studies evaluating parental presence had methodological limitations because of the absence of a control group.

The investigators seek to assess whether parental presence during fracture reduction under sedation, in children 8 to 18 years of age, decreases anxiety levels in both parents and children.

Conditions

• Conscious Sedation
• Anxiety

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Parental presence

Patients in the study group will be accompanied by one of their parents for the whole procedure. Before this, a short explanation of the procedure, the patient's expected behavior during the procedure and what roles parents should play will be given to the parent by the research assistant. Parents will be seated close to the patient's head and will wear radiology proof gowns. If deemed necessary by the attending physician or if their behavior becomes unacceptable, parents can be asked to leave the procedure room at any given time. Parents will be allowed to leave the procedure room if they wish to at any time during the procedure.

BEHAVIORAL

Control

One parent will stay with their child until he is in the procedure room and conscious sedation has begun. He will then be asked to leave the room and wait in an adjoining waiting room. The attending physician will invite the parent back in the room once the reduction is complete and the cast is done.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Association des Médecins d'Urgence du Quebec

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• St. Justine's Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jocelyn Gravel, MD · St. Justine's Hospital

• Nathalie Gaucher, MD · St. Justine's Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

8 Years

Max Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2009-06-30

Primary Completion

2011-10-31

Completion

2011-10-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations