[Pediatric Reports 2015; 7:5682] [page 13]

Children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging examination frequently experience anxiety and fear before and during the scan-ning. The aim of the present study was to assess: i) whether and to what extent psycho-logical interventions might reduce anxiety and fear levels; ii) whether the intervention is related to a decrease in the need for sedation. The interventions consisted of three activities: a clown show, dog interaction and live music. The emotional status (anxiety and fear) of the children was evaluated before and after the activities through a rating scale questionnaire. The results showed that the activities had high effectiveness in reducing the level of anxiety and fear and decreased the need for sedation in the experimental group compared to the control group. This approach proved to be a positive patient experience, helping to allevi-ate children’s anxiety and fear, decreasing the need for sedation, and was cost-effective