The Foot
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Audiovisual distraction as an adjunct to pain and anxiety relief during minor surgery.
Minor surgery for ingrown toenails can provoke anxiety and the anaesthetic injection can be acutely painful. Distraction techniques may reduce the associated pain and anxiety. ⋯ Pain of injected anaesthesia correlates closely with pre-operative anxiety. Formal audiovisual distraction has no added benefit over interpersonal interaction in the alleviation of pain and anxiety in patients undergoing nail surgery.