The Effect of Cartoon Character-Printed Band Use During Burn Dressing on Fear, Stress, Pain, and Physiological Parameters in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of using cartoon character-printed medical bands during burn dressing procedures on children's fear, stress, pain, and physiological parameters. Burn dressing is often a distressing and painful procedure for pediatric patients, which may lead to increased anxiety, physiological instability, and negative treatment experiences.

In this study, child-friendly cartoon-printed adhesive bands are used as a non-pharmacological intervention to provide distraction and emotional comfort during burn dressing. By incorporating familiar and visually engaging designs, the intervention seeks to reduce children's perception of pain, alleviate stress, and improve physiological stability (heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate) during the procedure.

Participants will include children aged 7-11 years receiving burn care in a pediatric burn unit. They will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (cartoon-printed band use) or the control group (standard plain band use). Fear, pain, and stress will be assessed using validated scales before, during, and after the dressing procedure. Physiological parameters will be measured using a pulse oximeter.

The study is expected to contribute to the development of child-centered, non-pharmacological methods that make medical procedures less stressful and more tolerable for pediatric patients. Results may guide the design of more comforting and engaging treatment environments in pediatric burn care.

Conditions

• Burns
• Pain, Procedural
• Stress, Psychological
• Fear
• Child
• Bandages

Interventions

OTHER

Cartoon-printed band application

Colorful cartoon character-printed elastic adhesive bands will be applied during a single burn dressing procedure. The bands will be applied by the researcher nurse immediately before and throughout the burn dressing process and will remain in place for the entire duration of the dressing procedure. This intervention will be applied during one burn dressing session in the study period to reduce fear, pain, stress, and physiological responses in children.

OTHER

Standard band application

Children in this group will receive burn dressing using standard plain elastic adhesive bands. The bands will be applied by the researcher nurse immediately before and throughout a single burn dressing procedure and will remain in place for the entire duration of the dressing process. No additional distraction or visual intervention will be provided during the procedure.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Yuzuncu Yil University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

6 Years

Max Age

11 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-08-12

Primary Completion

2026-03-12

Completion

2026-03-12

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations