Pediatric anesthesia & critical care
Toward Age‐Specific Application of Pediatric Non‐Pharmacological Pain Strategies: A Bayesian Reanalysis of the Buzzy Device
Pooled result · PainResult — go to the resultSMD −1.05 95% CrI −1.41 to −0.70Authors' conclusion
This Bayesian reanalysis confirms the effectiveness of Buzzy for pediatric procedural pain while highlighting age as a key determinant.
Study context
- Population
- Children undergoing needle-related procedures16 RCTs (pain), 6 (anxiety)
- Comparison
- Buzzy device vs control
- Outcome
- Procedural pain
Methodological detailsBayesian hierarchical random-effects models, meta-regression
- Bayesian hierarchical random-effects models
- Meta-regression
Pooled result
Pain
SMD
−1.05
95% CrI −1.41 to −0.70
Buzzy device (cold and vibration) vs control
SMD −1.05 (95% CrI −1.41 to −0.70)
As reported in the abstract
Further pooled results
Anxiety
| SMD (95% CrI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| BuzzyCrI | −1.59 (−2.65 to −0.54) | |
| −4−202Difference (linear scale) |
- Anxiety: 95% CrI
Pain reduction by age (meta-regression)
- Stronger benefit in children aged 7 years or older: posterior probability
- 97.9%
- Bayes factor
- 13.9
- No meaningful associations with sex distribution, procedure type, or risk of bias
Anxiety by age
- Age effect inconclusive (limited study numbers, wide credible intervals (CrIs))
Original publication
Toward Age‐Specific Application of Pediatric Non‐Pharmacological Pain Strategies: A Bayesian Reanalysis of the Buzzy Device. Paediatr Anaesth. Published 27 November 2025. doi:10.
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