Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Pediatric Nursing, cilt.88, ss.117-126, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
Aim To evaluate the effectiveness of nighttime use of eye masks and earplugs in preventing delirium and reducing pain levels among awake, spontaneously breathing pediatric intensive care patients aged 6–12 years. Study design This single-center, parallel-group, superiority randomized controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary university hospital in western Turkey between August 2024 and June 2025. Seventy-four children aged 6 to 12 years were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group received standard care plus eye masks and earplugs at night, while the control group received standard care only. The primary outcome was the incidence of delirium assessed over three consecutive days using the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium, while the secondary outcome was pain severity assessed over the same period using a faces-based numeric pain rating approach. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06867523). Results The intervention group had a significantly lower incidence of delirium on Days 2 and 3 compared to the control group (Day 3: 2.7% vs 37.8%; OR = 21.91, 95% CI [2.69–178.07], p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups regarding pain scores at any assessment point (p > 0.05). Conclusions Nighttime use of eye masks and earplugs significantly reduced early-onset delirium in awake, spontaneously breathing intensive care patients aged 6–12 years; however, no statistically significant effect on pain levels was observed. Practice implications Simple, low-cost environmental modifications such as eye masks and earplugs may help reduce early-onset delirium in stable, non-sedated PICU patients aged 6–12 years and can be feasibly integrated into routine nursing care. Clinical trial registration The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06867523).