Distracting Through Procedural Pain and Distress Using Virtual Reality and Guided Imagery in Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Patients: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res 2022 Apr 18;24(4):e30260
Date
04/19/2022Pubmed ID
35436209Pubmed Central ID
PMC9062714DOI
10.2196/30260Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85128530319 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 12 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Children with acute and chronic illness undergo frequent, painful, and distressing procedures.
OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate the effectiveness of guided imagery (GI) versus virtual reality (VR) on the procedural pain and state anxiety of children and young adults undergoing unsedated procedures. We explored the role of trait anxiety and pain catastrophizing in intervention response.
METHODS: Children and young adults were recruited from the hematology, oncology, and blood and marrow transplant clinics at a children's hospital. Each study participant completed the GI and VR intervention during separate but consecutive unsedated procedures. Self-report measures of pain and anxiety were completed before and after the procedures.
RESULTS: A total of 50 participants (median age 13 years) completed both interventions. GI and VR performed similarly in the management of procedural pain. Those with high pain catastrophizing reported experiencing less nervousness about pain during procedures that used VR than those using GI. State anxiety declined pre- to postprocedure in both interventions; however, the decrease reached the level of significance during the VR intervention only. Those with high trait anxiety had less pain during GI.
CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, VR worked as well as GI to manage the pain and distress associated with common procedures experienced by children with acute or chronic illnesses. Children who are primed for pain based on beliefs about pain or because of their history of chronic pain had a better response to VR. GI was a better intervention for those with high trait anxiety.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04892160; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04892160.
Author List
Hoag JA, Karst J, Bingen K, Palou-Torres A, Yan KAuthors
Kristin M. Bingen PhD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinJennifer A. Hoag PhD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Jeffrey S. Karst PhD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Ke Yan PhD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentAnxiety
Child
Chronic Pain
Humans
Pain Management
Pain, Procedural
Virtual Reality
Young Adult
