How Does Medical Clown Intervention Affect the Length of Hospitalization in Children With Pneumonia

Background and Objectives: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of hospitalization in children. The hospitalization duration depends on factors as child's well-being, vital signs, need for parenteral treatments, and development of complications. Medical clowns (MCs) are known to assist in reducing pain and alleviating anxiety and have been integrated into many aspects of hospital treatment routines. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of MC intervention on length of hospitalization in children admitted with CAP.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Medical clown visits

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 51
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Israel
  • Haifa, Israel
    • Carmel Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of pneumonia.
• Ages 2-18 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hemodynamically unstable patients.
• Other systemic comorbidities or chronic respiratory diseases
• Children from families unable to comprehend and sign an informed consent form.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Investigation Group; Investigation group will be receiving standard care plus 15-minute MC visits twice daily during the first 48 hours of hospitalization	Other: Medical clown visits; The intervention is 15-minute visits from MCs twice daily during the first two days of admission. The clowns use various techniques to relax the patients (e.g. music, singing, playing, humor, guided imagination) and helpe encourage children to begin drinking and eating on their own.; Other Names: Medical Clown
No Intervention: Control Group; Control Group will be receiving standard care without MC visits.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The length of hospitalization in hours	The length of hospitalization in hours is determined by the duration between admission and discharge from the pediatric department.	Immediately after the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Duration of IV treatment	Duration of IV treatment in hours.	Immediately after the intervention

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in well-being scores as reported by both the parent and the treating physician.	Changes in well-being scores as reported by both the parent and the treating physician, and alterations in vital signs and laboratory results.	Immediately after the intervention
Alterations in Heart rate	Alterations in Heart rate	Immediately after the intervention
Alterations in body temperature	Alterations in body temperature	Immediately after the intervention
Alterations in Respiratory rate	Alterations in Respiratory rate	Immediately after the intervention
Alterations in oxygen saturation	Alterations in oxygen saturation	Immediately after the intervention
Alterations in white blood cell count	Alterations in white blood cell count	Immediately after the intervention
Alterations in absolute neutrophil count	Alterations in absolute neutrophil count	Immediately after the intervention
Alterations in C-reactive protein levels	Alterations in C-reactive protein levels	Immediately after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Carmel Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 30, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 7, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): November 7, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 6, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 19, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 19, 2024
• Last Verified: December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP); Medical clowns
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Pneumonia
• Other Study ID Numbers: CMC-0170-16

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No