Comparative Evaluation of Efficacy of Hypnosis, Acupressure and Audiovisual Aids in Reducing the Anxiety of Children during Administration of Local Anesthesia

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of acupressure, hypnosis and audiovisual aids in reducing anxiety in children during the administration of local anesthesia (LA). Methodology: Two hundred apparently healthy children were selected randomly between 6 and 10 years of age and were divided into 4 groups with 50 children in each group. Group I: children were subjected to hypnosis, group II: acupressure, group III: AV aids i.e., VPT, and group IV: children were the control group where no anxiety-reducing techniques were used during administration of LA. The anxiety scores were recorded at three different time intervals by recording the pulse rate (PR), respiratory rate (RR) and anxiety rate (AR) and subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that, all the three distraction techniques showed a significant reduction in PR, RR and AR at all time intervals, when compared to the control group. A significant reduction in PR, RR and AR was seen in the hypnosis group when compared to acupressure and only PR in comparison to AV aids. There was no significant difference between group II and III in reducing anxiety. Conclusion: The present study indicates that all the three distraction techniques were effective in reducing anxiety in children. Hypnosis was most promising, followed by audiovisual aids and acupressure. Clinical significance: The techniques can be utilized in a day-to-day practice to manage patients with anxiety.