Effects of an Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention on Pain and Anxiety among Pediatric Patients Undergoing Venipuncture: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Importance: Venipuncture is one of the most painful and distressing procedures experienced by pediatric patients. Emerging evidence suggests that providing procedural information and distraction using immersive virtual reality (IVR) may reduce pain and anxiety among children undergoing needle-related procedures. Objectives: To examine the effects of IVR on reducing the pain, anxiety, and stress experienced by pediatric patients undergoing venipuncture. Design, Setting, and Participants: This 2-group randomized clinical trial recruited pediatric patients aged 4 to 12 years undergoing venipuncture from a public hospital in Hong Kong between January 2019 and January 2020. Data were analyzed from March to May 2022. Interventions: Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention (an age-appropriate IVR intervention offering distraction and procedural information) or a control (standard care only) group. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was child-reported pain. Secondary outcomes included child-reported anxiety, heart rate, salivary cortisol, length of procedure, and satisfaction of health care professionals with the procedure (rated on a 40 point scale, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction). Outcomes were assessed 10 minutes before, during, immediately after, and 30 minutes after the procedure. Results: A total of 149 pediatric patients were recruited, with 86 female patients (57.7%) and 66 patients (44.3%) diagnosed with fever. Compared with the 74 participants in the control group (mean [SD] age, 7.21 [2.49] years), the 75 participants in the IVR group (mean [SD] age, 7.21 [2.43] years) reported significantly less pain (β = -0.78; 95% CI, -1.21 to -0.35; P