Background and Objectives: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of hospitalization in children. The hospitalization duration depends on factors as child's well-being, vital signs, need for parenteral treatments, and development of complications. Medical clowns (MCs) are known to assist in reducing pain and alleviating anxiety and have been integrated into many aspects of hospital treatment routines. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of MC intervention on length of hospitalization in children admitted with CAP.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
51
The intervention is 15-minute visits from MCs twice daily during the first two days of admission. The clowns use various techniques to relax the patients (e.g. music, singing, playing, humor, guided imagination) and helpe encourage children to begin drinking and eating on their own.
Carmel Medical Center
Haifa, Israel
The length of hospitalization in hours
The length of hospitalization in hours is determined by the duration between admission and discharge from the pediatric department.
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention
Duration of IV treatment
Duration of IV treatment in hours.
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention
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