Magic Show Featuring "Kuco" for Pain and Fear During Invasive Procedures

Children frequently experience pain and fear during invasive procedures such as venipuncture and peripheral intravenous catheter insertion. These experiences may negatively affect children's cooperation during procedures and increase anxiety related to future healthcare encounters. Non-pharmacological distraction techniques are recommended to reduce procedure-related pain and fear in pediatric patients.

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of a standardized magic show featuring "Kuco" on pain and fear experienced by children during invasive procedures. Eighty children aged 5-8 years who require venipuncture or peripheral intravenous catheter insertion will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. Children in the intervention group will receive a standardized magic show performed with the "Kuco" puppet before and throughout the invasive procedure, whereas children in the control group will receive routine clinical care only.

Pain and fear will be assessed immediately before and after the procedure using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and the Children's Fear Scale. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of a magic show-based distraction intervention for reducing procedure-related pain and fear in children.

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Key information

Conditions

Procedure-Related Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Peripheral Intravenous Catheterization Procedure-Related Fear Signs and Symptoms Venipuncture

Age range

5 year–8 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Bingöl State Hospital

Bingoel, Bingöl, 12000, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

Children aged 5 to 8 years.
Requiring venipuncture or peripheral intravenous catheter insertion in the pediatric emergency department, pediatric blood collection unit, or pediatric day-care unit.
Able to communicate in Turkish.
Conscious and able to respond to the study scales.
No visual or hearing impairment that would interfere with participation in the intervention or outcome assessment.
Parent or legal guardian provides written informed consent, and the child provides assent when appropriate.

Exclusion criteria

Presence of a chronic psychiatric or neurological disorder.
Presence of a severe chronic medical condition that may affect pain or fear perception.
Administration of analgesic, sedative, or anxiolytic medication before the procedure.
Previous participation in this study.
Child or parent refuses to participate or withdraws consent at any stage of the study.
Failure to complete the invasive procedure or the study assessments.

Treatment and study plan

Kuco Magic Show

Behavioral

Participants assigned to the intervention group will receive a standardized magic show featuring the "Kuco" puppet as a behavioral distraction technique before and throughout the invasive procedure (venipuncture or peripheral intravenous catheter insertion). The intervention will be delivered by a trained researcher using a standardized protocol that includes interactive magic tricks and verbal engagement to maintain the child's attention during the procedure. The magic show will begin approximately 2 minutes before the procedure and continue until the procedure is completed, in addition to routine clinical care.

Other names: Kuco Distraction Intervention

Primary outcomes

Procedure-Related Pain

Time frame: Immediately before and within 1 minute after the invasive procedure.

Pain intensity will be assessed using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale immediately before and within 1 minute after the invasive procedure. The scale ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity.
Procedure-Related Fear

Time frame: Immediately before and within 1 minute after the invasive procedure.

Fear will be assessed using the Children's Fear Scale immediately before and within 1 minute after the invasive procedure. The scale ranges from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater fear.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Inonu University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of a Magic Show Featuring "Kuco" on Pain and Fear Experienced During an Invasive Procedure

Acronym: Kuco-Magic

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2027
First posted: Aug 5, 2026
Registry last updated: Aug 5, 2026

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.

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