Clinical trial · Interventional
Effect of Hand Puppet and Squeeze Toys on IV Placement in Pediatric Oncology Patients
The Effect of Hand Puppet and Squeeze Toy Techniques on Fear, Emotional Expression, and Procedure Success During Peripheral IV Catheter Placement in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
This randomized controlled trial investigates hand puppet and squeeze toy techniques to reduce fear, emotional distress, and procedure time, and improve IV catheter placement success in 90 pediatric hematology-oncology patients (ages 6-10). Participants will be randomized into three groups: hand puppet, squeeze toy, or control. Outcomes include fear, emotional expression, procedure duration, number of attempts, and first-attempt success.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatric Hematology | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Pediatric Oncology | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand Squeezing Soft Toy (Squishy) | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Performing a Hand Puppet to Music | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (3)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Hand Puppet
- description
- In this arm, an independent researcher will use a hand puppet with child-friendly animal or profession-themed designs, moving it to music during IV catheter placement to engage the child's attention. The child selects the puppet and interacts with it while another researcher collects data. This distraction aims to reduce fear, negative emotional responses, number of IV attempts, and procedure duration.
- interventionNames
- Other: Performing a Hand Puppet to Music
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Squeeze Toy
- description
- Children will receive a soft, colorful squeeze toy in their non-procedure hand during IV catheter placement. They will be encouraged to rhythmically squeeze and release the toy, which engages their attention. This distraction aims to reduce fear, negative emotional responses, number of IV attempts, and procedure duration.
- interventionNames
- Other: Hand Squeezing Soft Toy (Squishy)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 6 Years
- Maximum age
- 10 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: Children aged 6-10 years with a pediatric hematology or oncology diagnosis. Cognitively able to understand instructions during the procedure. Require peripheral IV catheter placement as determined by the healthcare team. Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA) Score ≥4. Child and parent/guardian willing to participate. Exclusion Criteria: Physical condition preventing use of a squeeze toy. Cognitive or developmental disorders preventing understanding of procedural instructions. \-
References
Publications (2)
- BACKGROUNDGurcan M, Karatas N, Kaya A, Turan SA, Guler E. The effect of a pushing technique with normal saline on peripheral intravenous catheter placement success in paediatric haematology and oncology: A randomized controlled trial. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2024 Aug;71:102656. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2024.102656. Epub 2024 Jul 2. PMID 39002409
- BACKGROUNDGerceker GO, Bektas I, Yardimci F. The effects of virtual reality and stress ball distraction on procedure-related emotional appearance, pain, fear, and anxiety during phlebotomy in children: A randomized controlled study. J Pediatr Nurs. 2024 Nov-Dec;79:197-204. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2024.08.029. Epub 2024 Sep 17. PMID 39293201