Study (authors, year), country | Study design | Participants N, age | Surgery types | Video distraction intervention | Intervention details |
Patel et al. (2006), USA | RCT | N = 112, 4 - 12 years | Outpatient surgery with general anesthesia | Playing a video game (active distraction) | The children selected a video game to play within the holding area. The children began to play the game via hand held tablet at least 20 minutes before anesthesia and they were allowed to continue playing during anesthesia induction. |
Lee et a., (2012), South Korea | RCT | N = 130, 3 - 7 years | First time Elective surgery with general anesthesia (eye surgery, tonsillectomy, herniorrhaphy hand surgery) | Watching cartoon film (passive distraction) | The children selected a film in the holding area and they watched it (via tablet or notebook) until they fell in sleep after anesthesia induction. |
Mifflin et al., (2012), USA | RCT | N = 89, 2 - 10 years | First time Ambulatory surgery with general anesthesia (ear, nose and throat, urology surgery, dentistry and general surgeries) | Watching a cartoon film (passive distraction) | The children selected a video clip that they usually enjoy watching and it was viewed for them to watch during anesthesia induction via large screens in the OR. |
Kerimoglu et al., (2013), USA | RCT | N = 96, 4 - 9 years | Outpatient surgery with general anesthesia | Watching a television program (passive distraction) | The children selected an age appropriate television program and it was viewed for them through a video glass in the holding area and throughout anesthesia induction. |
Seiden et al., (2014), USA | Non inferiority randomized trial | N = 108,1 - 11 years | Outpatient surgeries with general anesthesia | Playing interactive video game (active distraction) | The children selected an age appropriate video game in the holding area. The tablet was returned to the child to play the selected game at the time of parental separation and they continued playing during anesthesia induction. |
Kim et al., (2015), South Korea | RCT | N = 117, 2 - 7 years | Elective minor surgery with general anesthesia (eye surgery, tonsillectomy, herniorrhaphy, neck mass excision | Watching a cartoon film (passive distraction) | The children selected their preferred film and started to watch it in the holding area (via smartphone). They continued to watch the video during anesthesia induction. |
Sola et al., (2017), France | RCT | N = 135, 2 - 12 years | Ambulatory surgery with general anesthesia | Watching a cartoon film (passive distraction) | The children selected an age appropriate cartoon film and began to watch it 30 minutes before anesthesia through a DVD player. The children continued the film watching until they fell asleep from anesthesia. |
Marechal et al., (2017); France | RCT | N = 118, 4 - 11 years | Ambulatory surgery with general anesthesia for minor surgeries | Playing a video game (active distraction) | The children were allowed to select their preferred video game to play via electronic iPad. They began to play in the holding area 20 minutes before anesthesia and they were allowed to continue playing until they lost their consciousness during anesthesia induction. |