Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of music therapy, hand massage, and kaleidoscope usage on nausea and vomiting, pain, fear, and stress in 7-year-old to 11-year-old children after circumcision.
Design: This study was a prospective and randomized controlled trial.
Methods: The study was conducted at the pediatric surgery unit in a hospital in Turkey. The children were assigned to four groups through randomization performed using a computer program: group 1 was the control group with children who received no intervention; group 2 received hand massage; group 3 were distracted using kaleidoscope; and group 4 received music therapy.
Findings: There was a significant difference between the postoperative pain scores of the children in the intervention and control groups after the intervention (P < .05). This difference was found to be caused by the music therapy and kaleidoscope methods. There was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups' postoperative fear and anxiety levels in favor of the kaleidoscope group after the intervention (P < .05). But, no significant difference was found between the groups for the children's postoperative vomiting and nausea levels after the intervention (P > .05).
Conclusions: Distraction with music therapy and kaleidoscope is recommended for use in the postoperative period in children with circumcision to reduce the severity of their pain, fear, and anxiety.
Keywords: anxiety; fear; nausea and vomiting; pain; pediatric; postoperative.
Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.