Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07238361

Effect of Different Animal Interventions on Pain and Anxiety Levels Due to Port Catheter Needle Entry

This study was conducted to examine the effect of parrot, fish, and turtle therapies on procedural pain and anxiety levels associated with implantable venous port catheter needle insertion in patients receiving palliative care.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Pain Anxiety Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Gümüşhane University

Gümüşhane, 29600, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Pain and anxiety management are two symptoms that are quite challenging and important in cancer patients. Non-pharmacological methods are used alongside pharmacological methods to control pain and anxiety. This study was conducted to examine the effect of parrot, fish, and turtle therapies on procedural pain and anxiety levels associated with implantable venous port catheter needle insertion in patients receiving palliative care. The study was completed with a total of 120 individuals, including the parrot, fish, and turtle groups (n=30) and a control group. Before starting the study, all group participants completed a "Patient Information Form," and all participants in all groups completed the "Visual Analog Scale (VAS)" and "State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-I (STAI-I)" before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the implantable venous port catheter needle insertion. Patients in the experimental groups were provided with live parrots, fish, or turtles to spend time with during the needle insertion. No intervention was performed on patients in the control group other than needle insertion and data collection.There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) between the experimental groups and the control group in the mean scores of the total and subscale scores of the "VAS" and "STAI-I" after the port catheter needle insertion (post-test). no differences were found between the groups before port catheter needle insertion (pre-test) (p>0.05). Statistically significant differences were found between the mean scores of the total and subscale scores of the "VAS" and "STAI-I" for the experimental groups and the control group according to the measurement times within the groups (p<0.001). Parrot, fish, and turtle therapies were found to be effective in reducing pain and anxiety levels in cancer patients receiving palliative care. Parrot therapy was determined to be the most effective in reducing pain and anxiety.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Being 18 years of age or older,
  • Agreement to participate in the study,
  • Being able to communicate verbally,
  • No vision, hearing, or speech problems,
  • The patient must have a port catheter,
  • The patient must be able to access the implantable port catheter needle in a single attempt,

Exclusion criteria

  • Refusal to participate in the study,
  • Resence of a psychiatric disorder,
  • Unstable general condition were determined as exclusion criteria.

Treatment and study plan

Sultan Parrot Therapy (Pet Therapy)

Behavioral

Sultan parrot therapy was applied during implantable port catheter needle insertion

Betta Fish Therapy (Pet Therapy)

Behavioral

Betta fish therapy was applied during implantable port catheter needle insertion.

Red-Eared Slider Turtle Therapy (Pet Therapy)

Behavioral

Red-eared slider turtle therapy was applied during implantable port catheter needle insertion.

Primary outcomes

  1. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)

    Time frame: Day 1

    The scale developed by Price et al. measures the intensity of pain in patients. The VAS, used to measure the intensity of the patient's pain perception, is 10 cm long and is graded on a horizontal line (0 = no pain, 10 = most severe pain). The patient is asked to mark a point on this line that corresponds to the intensity of the pain they feel. The marked numerical value indicates the intensity of the patient's pain perception. VAS value of 1-4 indicates mild pain, 5-6 indicates moderate pain, and 7-10 indicates severe pain.

    "VAS" were administered to the patients 2 times in total before the study (pretest) and the end of the end of the survey (posttest).

  2. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-I (STAI-I)

    Time frame: Day 1

    Developed by Spielberger et al., the STAI-I is a 20-item self-report scale that measures momentary anxiety levels . The validity and reliability study of the Turkish adaptation of the scale was conducted by Öner and Lecompte . Participants respond according to a four-point scale ranging from "Never" (1) to "Completely" (4). In the scale, 10 items are directly coded (3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18) are positive, while 10 items are reverse-coded (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11, 15, 16, 19, 20) and are negative. The scoring of reverse items is reversed (1→4, 4→1). All scores are added together, and 50 is added to the raw score to calculate a total score between 20 and 80. A score of 21-40 on the scale is considered mild anxiety, 41-60 is moderate anxiety, and 61 and above is severe anxiety

    "STAI-I" were administered to the patients 2 times in total before the study (pretest) and the end of the end of the survey (posttest).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Karadeniz Technical University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Different Animal Interventions on Procedural Pain and Anxiety Levels Due to Implantable Venous Port Catheter Needle Introduction in Patients Receiving Palliative Care: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Nov 20, 2025
Registry last updated
Nov 20, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.