VR for Pain & Sleep in Burn Patients: A RCT

Abadan University of Medical Sciences

Status: Completed

Conditions: Burns; Sleep Disturbances; Pain

Treatments: Behavioral: Virtual Reality Distraction; Other: Standard Care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07306442

2004

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to evaluate whether virtual reality (VR) can reduce pain and improve sleep quality during wound dressing changes in burn patients with 25-60% total body surface area (TBSA) burns, compared to standard care.

Full description

Background:

Burn injuries are extremely painful, especially during wound dressing changes. They also cause severe sleep problems, which can slow down healing. While medicines help, they often have side effects and don't fully solve these issues. Virtual reality (VR) is a new tool that distracts the brain from pain by immersing patients in a calming digital world. This study was designed to assess if VR could help with both pain and sleep in burn patients.

Methods:

We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 60 adult burn patients who had between 25% and 60% of their body burned. All patients were stable and able to understand instructions. We randomly assigned them into two groups: one group used VR headsets during their dressing changes, and the other group received standard care without VR. Pain was measured before and after the procedure using a simple 0-to-10 scale. Sleep quality was assessed using a standard questionnaire (PSQI) before and 24 hours after the treatment.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• - Adult patients aged 18 to 60 years.
• Deep partial-thickness or full-thickness burns covering 25% to 60% of total body surface area (TBSA).
• Hemodynamic stability (systolic BP ≥90 mmHg, HR 60-100 bpm, no vasopressor use).
• Ability to understand and comprehend Persian language.
• Scheduled for at least one standardized, non-sedated wound dressing change procedure.

Exclusion criteria

• - Diagnosed psychiatric or neurological disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, epilepsy).
• Severe visual impairment (best-corrected visual acuity <20/200) or auditory impairment.
• History of motion sickness or VR intolerance.
• Contraindications to VR use (e.g., active vertigo, uncontrolled hypertension).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Virtual Reality Intervention Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group received immersive virtual reality distraction during their wound dressing change procedure. They wore an Oculus Quest 2 headset and were immersed in a calming, interactive virtual environment (e.g., a peaceful beach or forest) for the duration of the dressing change (approximately 30-45 minutes). The audio was enabled to enhance immersion.

Treatment:

Other: Standard Care

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Distraction

Standard Care Group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group received standard care during their wound dressing change, which included verbal reassurance and routine analgesic administration as prescribed, without any additional distraction techniques such as virtual reality.

Treatment:

Other: Standard Care