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Cartoons and Reflexology for Postoperative Nausea, Pain, and Anxiety in Children

NCT07151131 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 105

Last updated 2025-09-03

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Preoperative anxiety arises as a physiological response of the body to stressors and is pathophysiologically associated with stimulation of the autonomic nervous system and increased catecholamine release (Durgut, 2021). As a result, elevated levels of cortisol and epinephrine in the body can cause cytotoxic effects at the cellular level. This physiological mechanism may lead to hypertension, arrhythmia, tachycardia, and tachypnea in children (Dehghan et al., 2019; Durgut, 2021).

Due to these effects, recent evidence-based studies have focused on the use of non-pharmacological approaches with fewer side effects to manage anxiety in children (Kavak et al., 2019). According to the literature, various techniques have been identified as effective interventions for reducing preoperative anxiety in children, including:

Listening to music,

Playing games,

Using dramatic puppets,

Interactive play,

Virtual reality applications,

Watching cartoons,

Playing favorite video games,

Video presentations,

Hospital clowns,

Storybooks,

Visual and auditory stimuli

Conditions

  • Children
  • Pain Management
  • Nausea, Postoperative

Interventions

OTHER

Watching Cartoons

Cartoon Group Intervention Children assigned to the cartoon group will be taken from the clinic to the preoperative room. Approximately 30 minutes before being transferred to the operating room, children will be allowed to watch a cartoon of their choice on a 60-inch screen TV placed approximately 200 cm away. The duration of the cartoon viewing session will be limited to 20 minutes. The measurement tools used in the study will be administered at five different time points: Immediately before watching the cartoon, Immediately after watching the cartoon but before being transferred to the operating room, In the postoperative period at the 60th minute, At the 120th minute postoperatively, And finally, at the discharge phase.

OTHER

Reflexology

Massage Group Intervention Children assigned to the massage group will be transferred from the clinic to the preoperative room. Approximately 30 minutes before being taken to the operating room, reflexology massage will be applied by the researcher physician Xxx XXXXX, who holds a valid reflexology certification. The massage will be administered to both the right and left feet, with 10 minutes per foot, for a total duration of 20 minutes. The measurement tools used in the study will be applied at five distinct time points: Before the massage, Immediately after the massage but before operating room transfer, In the postoperative period at the 60th minute, At the 120th minute postoperatively, And finally, during the discharge phase.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Sakarya University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
4 Years
Max Age
6 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-09-01
Primary Completion
2025-09-01
Completion
2025-12-01

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07151131 on ClinicalTrials.gov