PS52 A randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of adding hypnoanaesthesia to existing standard infiltration anaesthetic technique in reducing pain and anxiety in children undergoing minor dermatosurgical procedures, compared with standard in

Abstract

Medical procedures frequently evoke fear and anxiety in children, leading to exaggerated pain perception and adverse procedural experiences. Hypnosis is a nonpharmacological distraction technique that redirects attention, reduces anxiety and enhances coping. It is particularly effective in children due to their heightened imaginative capacity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of hypnoanaesthesia as an adjunct to standard infiltration anaesthetic technique in reducing pain, anxiety and physiological stress responses in children undergoing minor dermatosurgical procedures, compared with standard infiltration anaesthetic technique alone A single-­centre randomized controlled trial was conducted over 2 years in the department of dermatology and venereology. Sixty children aged 6–13 years undergoing minor dermatosurgical procedures were randomized into a hypnoanaesthesia group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). The intervention group received hypnosis using the Magic Glove technique prior to local anaesthetic infiltration, while controls received standard care alone. Pain during local anaesthetic injection, intra- and postprocedural pain, anxiety (visual analogue scale, VAS) and physiological parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate) were assessed at baseline, during the procedure, immediately after and at the 1-week follow-up. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable between groups. Pain during local anaesthetic injection was significantly lower in the hypnoanaesthesia group compared with controls (median VAS 3 vs. 7; P < 0.001). Postoperative pain at 1 week was also significantly reduced (median VAS 0 vs. 2; P = 0.001). Intraoperative and immediate postprocedural pain showed no significant intergroup differences. Anxiety scores significantly decreased following hypnoanaesthesia (median VAS from 7 to 1; P < 0.001), while baseline anxiety was similar between groups. A significant reduction in systolic blood pressure was observed after hypno­anaesthesia (P = 0.01), with no other clinically relevant changes in vital parameters. Hypnoanaesthesia using the Magic Glove technique effectively reduces pain during local anaesthetic injection, postoperative pain and procedural anxiety in children undergoing minor dermatosurgical procedures.