Venipuncture PainNCT07417852
Effect of Cartoon Projection and Ball Squeezing on Pain During Venipuncture in Children
A study testing Cartoon Projection Distraction and ball squeezing distraction in people with Venipuncture Pain, run by University of Baghdad at 1 site in Iraq.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which distraction method works better to reduce needle pain in children aged 4-12 years during blood draws. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does watching cartoon videos lower children's pain more than squeezing a stress ball? Which method do parents prefer for… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 2 to 12 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Venipuncture Pain
- What is being tested?
- Cartoon Projection Distraction and ball squeezing distraction
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- 1 siteIraq
- Study dates
- Sep 2026to Jan 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 2 to 12 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Children aged 4-12 years
- Requiring venipuncture for routine blood testing
- Able to watch cartoon video during procedure
- Parental consent obtained
Who cannot join
- Developmental delay preventing cooperation
- Severe anxiety disorder
- Visual impairment
- Non-English/Arabic speaking parents
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Iraq1 site
Karbala Pediatric Teaching Hospital Al-Hussein Medical City Karbala, Iraq
Karbala, Karbala Governorate, 0694
About this study
Official title: Effect of Immersive Cartoon Projection and Ball Squeezing on Pain During Venipuncture Among Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which distraction method works better to reduce needle pain in children aged 4-12 years during blood draws.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does watching cartoon videos lower children's pain more than squeezing a stress ball?
- Which method do parents prefer for their children? 120 children will be randomly assigned to watch cartoons or squeeze a ball while nurses draw blood. Pain will be measured using a 0-10 pain scale right after the needle.
This study will help nurses choose the best way to make blood draws less painful for children.
Read the detailed description
This study compares two distraction methods (cartoon projection vs. ball squeezing) to reduce venipuncture pain in children aged 4-12 years.
120 children will be randomized 1:1 to receive either immersive cartoon videos or tactile stress ball distraction during routine blood draws at Karbala Pediatric Hospital.
Pain intensity (primary outcome) will be assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, 0-10; higher=worse) immediately post-procedure.
The study protocol received ethical approval from University of Baghdad College of Nursing (No. 77, Jan 29, 2026).
- Conditions
- Venipuncture Pain
- Being tested
- Cartoon Projection Distraction, ball squeezing distraction
- Keywords
- Pediatric pain, venipuncture, distraction, cartoon projection , Ball squeezing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Cartoon Projection DistractionBehavioural
Immersive cartoon videos during venipuncture'
ball squeezing distractionBehavioural
Stress ball squeezing during venipuncture'
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cartoon Projection Arm | Experimental | Children receive immersive cartoon projection distraction during venipuncture Receives: Behavioral: Cartoon Projection Distraction; Behavioral: ball squeezing distraction |
| ball squeezing arm | Experimental | Children aged 4-12 years receive ball squeezing distraction during venipuncture Receives: Behavioral: ball squeezing distraction |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Analogue Scale (VAS) Pain Score (0-10; higher scores = worse pain)
Child rates pain intensity (0-10 cm scale) immediately after needle insertion
Measured: 0-30 seconds post - venipuncture
Secondary outcomes (1)
Nurse-Observed Anxiety Level (1-5 scale; higher = worse)
Child anxiety assessed by nurse observer rating (1-5 scale)
Measured: During venipuncture procedure
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Feb 2026
- Study startSep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionJan 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Venipuncture PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of BaghdadThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Baghdad
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Enas Ahmed Abdul Kareem, University of Baghdad
- Investigators
- Enas Ahmed, PhD Student, Principal investigator, University of Baghdad College of Nursing
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07417852
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UOB-CON-77-2026
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 10 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of Immersive Cartoon Projection and Ball Squeezing on Pain During Venipuncture Among Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07417852
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UOB-CON-77-2026
- Conditions
- Venipuncture Pain
- Keywords
- Pediatric pain, venipuncture, distraction, cartoon projection , Ball squeezing
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of BaghdadUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jan 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 18 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which distraction method works better to reduce needle pain in children aged 4-12 years during blood draws.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does watching cartoon videos lower children's pain more than squeezing a stress ball?
- Which method do parents prefer for their children? 120 children will be randomly assigned to watch cartoons or squeeze a ball while nurses draw blood. Pain will be measured using a 0-10 pain scale right after the needle.
This study will help nurses choose the best way to make blood draws less painful for children.
Detailed description
This study compares two distraction methods (cartoon projection vs. ball squeezing) to reduce venipuncture pain in children aged 4-12 years.
120 children will be randomized 1:1 to receive either immersive cartoon videos or tactile stress ball distraction during routine blood draws at Karbala Pediatric Hospital.
Pain intensity (primary outcome) will be assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, 0-10; higher=worse) immediately post-procedure.
The study protocol received ethical approval from University of Baghdad College of Nursing (No. 77, Jan 29, 2026).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cartoon Projection Arm | Experimental | Behavioral: Cartoon Projection Distraction, Behavioral: ball squeezing distractionChildren receive immersive cartoon projection distraction during venipuncture |
| ball squeezing arm | Experimental | Behavioral: ball squeezing distractionChildren aged 4-12 years receive ball squeezing distraction during venipuncture |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 2 to 12 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Children aged 4-12 years
- Requiring venipuncture for routine blood testing
- Able to watch cartoon video during procedure
- Parental consent obtained
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Developmental delay preventing cooperation
- Severe anxiety disorder
- Visual impairment
- Non-English/Arabic speaking parents
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Cartoon Projection DistractionImmersive cartoon videos during venipuncture' | Behavioural | Cartoon Projection Arm |
| ball squeezing distractionStress ball squeezing during venipuncture' | Behavioural | Cartoon Projection Arm, ball squeezing arm |
Primary outcome
Analogue Scale (VAS) Pain Score (0-10; higher scores = worse pain)
Time frame: 0-30 seconds post - venipuncture
Child rates pain intensity (0-10 cm scale) immediately after needle insertion
1 secondary outcome
Nurse-Observed Anxiety Level (1-5 scale; higher = worse)
Time frame: During venipuncture procedure
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Enas Ahmed, PhD Student principal investigator
University of Baghdad College of Nursing
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Cartoon Projection Distraction and ball squeezing distraction in people with Venipuncture Pain, run by University of Baghdad at 1 site in Iraq.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Iraq. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Enas Ahmed, PhD Student (07806370150, ienas.ahmed1204a@conursing.uobaghdad.edu.iq), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Analogue Scale (VAS) Pain Score (0-10; higher scores = worse pain) (time frame: 0-30 seconds post - venipuncture). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Aug 2026.