[Virtual reality in the outpatient: reducing anxiety and fear in venous puncture].

Abstract

Up to 80% of children admitted to a hospital experience pain, mainly associated with venipuncture.

Objective: To analyze whether the use of virtual reality (VR) headsets during venipuncture can modify the perception of pain, anxiety, and fear in pediatrics.

Patients and method: Open label, randomized clinical trial. The presence of intellectual, visual, or hearing impairment were considered exclusion criteria. Two anxiety and fear scales were administered before and after the procedure, and the Wong-Baker face pain scale at the end. The following were recorded: number of venipuncture attempts, duration of the procedure, and side effects.

Results: 78 patients were included, 38 males and a mean age of 9.63 years. In the intervention group, the mean pain value was 2.87, with a mean difference (MD) of -0.85 compared with the control one (95% confidence interval (CI) -2.02 to 0.33). There was a significant reduction in the level of anxiety and fear, with MDs of -2.59 (95%CI: -3.92 to -1.26) and -0.85 points (95%CI: -1.45 to -0.24), respectively.

Conclusions: the use of VR headsets in venipuncture in hospital daytime care decreases the level of anxiety and fear in children and seems to reduce pain, without adverse effects. The venipuncture procedure has the same success rate and does not increase its duration.