Redirecting Kids Focus to Play, Not Pain, During Procedures

Did you know burn dressing changes are more complex than they seem?

It’s the process of removing old bandages from a burn wound, cleaning the area and carefully wrapping it again. It sounds routine and simple, but for adults and children, burn dressing changes can be incredibly painful.

In fact, one study found that burn dressing changes caused moderate to severe pain in 74% of patients. For kids, that pain often comes with fear. A negative and painful experience can make them feel anxious or scared about the next one.

Caleb, a Patient Gaming & Technology Specialist, sees kids’ reactions firsthand:

“Depending on how deep the burn is, the worse the kids respond. I have seen some small burns with minimal reaction and some big burns that physically hurts and emotionally scares them for the next dressing change.”

Burn care isn’t the only treatment where video games can make a difference in children’s hospitals. Starlight Gaming Stations can also help relieve kids’ anxiety around surgery and other procedures.

Caleb shared the story of one patient who had a difficult time getting his port accessed – so much so that he needed to be held down by the nurses. He became scared of the idea of going through it again.

Caleb knew something important about this patient – he loved Mario Kart. In fact, they played Mario Kart on the Starlight Gaming Station almost every day.

So, the next time the patient needed his port accessed, Caleb knew what strategy would help him feel less stressed and anxious - the Gaming Station.

Caleb describes how different his patient's port access experience was:

“We hopped on some Mario Kart. Then boom! It took just a couple minutes, and he barely even knew what happened. From then on during all re-accesses, we would bring the cart in there to play games, and they all went without a hitch.”

When hospital staff have the right tools, they can help kids feel calmer and more comfortable, even during painful procedures. Resources like Starlight programs helps kids feel less afraid of the hospital and treatments designed to help them heal.

At Starlight, we believe that Healing Begins with Happiness™. Our mission is to deliver happiness to seriously ill kids by ensuring hospitals have the programs they need to help kids

But we can’t do it alone. We need your help. Starlight programs are provided to hospitals at no cost and are never billed to families or insurance. Hospitals rely on the generosity of people in the community to make sure these resources are there when kids need them most.

When a child plays and forgets their pain, even for a little while, they find the strength to keep enduring.