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Virtual Reality Distraction During Pediatric Intravenous Line Placement

The University of Texas System (UT) logo

The University of Texas System (UT)

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Virtual Reality Distraction
Pediatric IV Placement

Treatments

Device: Virtual Reality

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT03304769
ASalinas

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to prospectively investigate the use of virtual reality headsets on the placement of IVs in a pediatric emergency department, by comparing the first stick success rate, total number of attempts, and the time to successful IV placement between patients who use virtual reality headset technology during the placement and those who receive the standard of care IV placement when child life ( individuals with special training in aiding and augmenting pediatric coping skills) is not available. The investigators will also compare the patient and parent perception of pain and anxiety associated with the IV placement in both study groups. Finally, by detailing which medications have been given prior to use of the VR for IV placement the investigators may evaluate for possible synergistic effects of VR with prior medication administration.

Full description

Children often describe procedures involving needles as the most stressful portion of the hospital experience. 1,2 Many studies involving the perception of pain have highlighted the importance of attention for the perception of pain, and, conversely, the benefit of distraction for decreasing pain perception. 3,4 Virtual reality technologies (VR) have been shown to mitigate the experience of pain and anxiety in patients undergoing procedures in a number of different ways. 5,6 While small studies have demonstrated the use of VR to be effective in diminishing pain during intravenous (IV) placement for outpatient imaging in pediatric patients aged 8-12, there have not been large-scale studies assessing the use of VR during IV placement in the Pediatric Emergency Department. 7 Studies examining the use of VR during venipuncture and IV placement also frequently focus on self-reported or parent-reported pain, rather than objectively quantifying number of IV sticks and time to successful IV placement.8 Additionally, the pediatric age ranges which benefit from VR have not been well-established, with some studies citing benefits only in patients over 10 years of age, and others showing improvements in all age groups.7,9,10

This study aims to prospectively investigate the use of virtual reality headsets on the placement of IVs in a pediatric emergency department, by comparing the first stick success rate, total number of attempts, and the time to successful IV placement between patients who use virtual reality headset technology during the placement and those who receive the standard of care IV placement when child life ( individuals with special training in aiding and augmenting pediatric coping skills) is not available. The investigators will also compare the patient and parent perception of pain and anxiety associated with the IV placement in both study groups. Finally, by detailing which medications have been given prior to use of the VR for IV placement the investigators may evaluate for possible synergistic effects of VR with prior medication administration.

Enrollment

116 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

4 to 17 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient aged 4-17 years
  • Requiring IV placement
  • Child Life unavailable

Exclusion criteria

  • Previous enrollment in the study
  • Physically/ developmentally unable to tolerate headset
  • Skin/eye pathology
  • Critically ill patient
  • Language other than English or Spanish
  • Student Nurse placing IV

Trial design

Primary purpose

Other

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Single Group Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

116 participants in 2 patient groups

IV placement no Virtual reality
No Intervention group
Description:
Patient will have IV placed in traditional manner, with no virtual reality headset
IV placement with Virtual Reality
Experimental group
Description:
Patient will have IV placed with Virtual Reality headset distraction
Treatment:
Device: Virtual Reality

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Central trial contact

Matthew Wilkinson, MD; Anna K Schlechter, MD

Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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