Effect of active noise cancellation on pediatric peripheral intravenous catheter insertion: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background:

Noise in pediatric emergency departments can impair procedural performance. We evaluated the effect of active noise-canceling (ANC) earphones on the outcomes of pediatric peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) insertion.

Methods:

This randomized controlled trial included 202 children (<8 years) requiring PIVC insertion. Participants were randomly assigned to operators wearing ANC earphones or a control group without earphones. The primary outcome was the first-attempt success rate, and secondary outcomes included procedure time.

Results:

First-attempt success rates were similar between the ANC and control groups (89.5% vs 89.7%; p > 0.99). The overall time reduction was not statistically significant (p = 0.089; Cohen’s d = −0.17). However, effect size estimates suggested relatively larger differences in challenging scenarios, including patients with difficult venous access (Cohen’s d = −0.39) and those requiring multiple attempts (Cohen’s d = −0.66).

Conclusions:

Among skilled operators, ANC earphones were not associated with an improved first-attempt success rate. Exploratory analyses suggested a potential signal of reduced cannulation time in more complex situations; however, these findings were hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in larger, multicenter studies.