My fabulous storyteller Lunii®, a participatory distraction method to reduce pain and anxiety during venipunctures in children aged 3 to 6 years? a randomized controlled trial

• Venipuncture is a frequent source of pain and anxiety in children. • Participatory distraction may lead to better anxiety and pain management during venipuncture. • The storyteller is an alternative distraction tool that can be used during painful care. Venipuncture is a frequent source of pain in children. Managing anxiety through distraction leads to better pain management during medical procedures. A participatory distraction method (My fabulous storyteller Lunii®) could be more effective by further mobilizing the child's attention span. To determine whether participatory distraction is more efficient than standard distraction in reducing anxiety and pain in children requiring venipuncture in the pediatric emergency department. Children aged 3 to 6 years requiring venipuncture were assigned to receive a participatory distraction through My fabulous storyteller Lunii® or a standard distraction (song, playful object, bubbles...). Anxiety was measured before, during and after the procedure using the m-YPAS (modified Yale Pediatric Anxiety Scale), while pain was measured by self-assessment and using the FLACC (Face Legs Activity Cry Consolabily) scale. Children were recorded for later evaluation. 116 children were included. The participatory distraction method did not show a significant reduction in anxiety or pain during venipuncture compared with commonly used distraction methods. No significant difference was found regarding the number of attempts, duration, procedure success rate, or the experience of parents and caregivers. My fabulous storyteller Lunii® is an alternative distraction tool that can be used during painful care. This method is not proven to be more effective than distraction by caregivers, but frees them from this task, allowing them to concentrate on care.