Virtual reality mobility for burn patients (VR-MOBILE): A within-subject-controlled trial protocol

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Burn Care
• Pain Management
• Anxiety Reduction

Background:

• Burn patients, especially children, experience severe pain and anxiety during hydrotherapy.
• Current treatments rely heavily on opioids and benzodiazepines, with limited use of non-pharmacological methods.
• Distraction techniques, like virtual reality (VR), show potential for pain management in other procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as an adjunct to standard pharmacological care for pain and anxiety management in pediatric burn patients during hydrotherapy.
• To assess the impact of VR distraction on reducing pain intensity and anxiety levels.
• To explore the potential of VR to decrease analgesic requirements in acute burn care.

Main Methods:

• A within-subject randomized controlled trial design was employed.
• A minimum of 20 pediatric participants (aged 7-17) undergoing burn care sessions participated.
• Participants received both standard care and VR distraction (using Dreamland®) in a randomized order within the same session.

Main Results:

• The study measured the mean difference in pain intensity and anxiety scores between the VR and standard care conditions.
• Primary outcomes focused on comparing pain and anxiety levels across the two treatment sequences.
• Results will indicate if VR significantly impacts pain and anxiety compared to standard care alone.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality (VR) presents a potentially effective non-pharmacological intervention for managing pain and anxiety in pediatric burn patients.
• If proven effective, VR could be integrated into standard care protocols for painful procedures in acute burn victims.
• This research may guide the implementation of immersive distraction therapies for enhanced burn wound care.