[Reducing the pain in invasive procedures during paediatric hospital admissions: Fiction, reality or virtual reality?]

Abstract

Introduction: Potentially painful invasive procedures are often performed for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes in hospitalised paediatric patients. Approaches, such as virtual reality (VR), should be sought in order to minimise pain and anxiety during these procedures.

Materials and methods: Hospitalised patients between 4 and 15-years-old requiring an invasive procedure were included. Pain and anxiety evaluation scales were given to children, relatives and health workers. A comparison was made with patients in whom VR was used (with or without concomitant use of a prilocaine/ lidocaine 2.5% analgesic cream) and patients in whom neither VR nor analgesic cream were used.

Results: The study included 58 patients, 38 in the VR group and 20 in the control group. Pain scores, as performed by patients, relatives and health workers, significantly decreased in the VR group (control group median 4/5 vs. VR group median 1/5, P<.001). Patient-reported anxiety scales were also lower in the VR group (control group median 4/5 vs. VR group 1/5, P=.001). The number of punctures (R²: 0.5, β: 0.6; P=.01) and the lack of analgesic techniques (β: -0.9; P=.02) were associated with higher scores in patient-reported pain scales.

Comments: The use of VR can reduce pain and anxiety during invasive procedures in hospitalized children.

Keywords: Analgesic cream; Ansiedad; Anxiety; Crema anestésica; Dolor; Hospitalización pediátrica; Invasive procedures; Paediatric hospitalisation; Paediatrics; Pain; Pediatría; Procedimientos invasivos; Realidad virtual; Virtual reality.