Virtual Reality Adjunct for Procedural Pain and Anxiety Management in Burn Wound Care
Efficacy of Virtual Reality as an Adjunct for Procedural Pain and Anxiety Management in Burn Wound Care: A Single-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial
Al Hayah University In Cairo
100 participants
Apr 12, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
This randomized controlled trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy of immersive virtual reality (VR) as an adjunct to standard analgesia during dressing changes in adult burn patients. The study compares an intervention group receiving standard care combined with an immersive VR distraction (using a head-mounted display displaying an engaging virtual environment) versus a control group receiving standard care plus non-VR distraction (watching a nature video on a tablet). The primary outcomes include procedural pain intensity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and anxiety levels measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Secondary outcomes include patient satisfaction and physiological parameters (heart rate and blood pressure) recorded during the procedure. This trial addresses the critical gap of heterogeneity and small sample sizes noted in previous VR studies for burn care pain management (Dascal et al., 2017).
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria1
- Adult burn patients (18-65 years) with confirmed partial-thickness burns. Scheduled for routine dressing changes. Able to provide informed consent. Baseline pain score of ≥4/10 during a dressing change session.
Exclusion Criteria3
- Patients with cognitive impairment preventing comprehension of the intervention.
- History of severe motion sickness or visual impairments that preclude the use of VR devices.
- Patients with contraindications to standard analgesic care.
Interventions
Intervention Description: Participants assigned to this intervention will receive standard analgesic care per institutional protocol in addition to an immersive virtual reality (VR) distraction intervention. During each burn dressing change, participants will wear a head-mounted display (HMD) that delivers an interactive and engaging virtual environment designed specifically to distract from procedural pain and reduce anxiety. The VR session will last for the entire duration of the dressing change (approximately 10-15 minutes) and will be administered during every session. The VR system is calibrated to provide high levels of sensory immersion to effectively divert attention from painful stimuli.
Intervention Description: Participants in this intervention will receive the same standard analgesic care provided to all subjects and, in addition, will watch a nature video on a tablet device during the burn dressing change. The video distraction serves as an active comparator to the immersive VR. The nature video is selected to be calming and engaging, and it will be played continuously during the dressing change session (approximately 10-15 minutes). This intervention allows evaluation of whether immersive VR provides additional benefit in reducing procedural pain and anxiety over a standard video distraction.
Locations(1)
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NCT06913270