Virtual Reality in non-pharmacological pain management in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Pain is a subjective unpleasant experience, especially in children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Pain management is complex and in addition to pharmacological treatment, non-pharmacological technologies can be used. Virtual Reality is one of them, which, through an immersive and distracting experience, can interfere with the patient's sensation of pain, helping to control it. This study aims to evaluate the impact of using Virtual Reality (VR) as an auxiliary resource in non-pharmacological pain control in a pediatric ICU environment. therapy was instituted for children over 6 years of age, without hemodynamic instability. Validated pediatric scales were used to assess pain; the children were assessed prior to therapy in relation to pain and after undergoing therapy. Games and scenarios were introduced according to patients' preferences and could be immersive and active, not exceeding the maximum therapy limit of 15 minutes. 45 children were included, 29 (64%) had no associated pain and 16 (35%) had mild or moderate pain. Average age 8 years and median 8.6 years. After therapy, 12 children (75%) progressed to a pain-free condition, 4 (25%) still had some pain, 3 of which were mild and 1 was moderate. Among the children who still had pain, we found a severe level that, after applying Virtual Reality, improved to mild, which may be related to his diagnosis. As an initial result, we observed positive results in its use, however, for a more robust result., it is valid to continue the approach in relation to diagnoses, in terms of the duration of the post-therapy analgesic effect and the impact on the need for complementary analgesic medication. We conclude that virtual reality, in addition to being a playful tool that provides a calmer and lighter environment for the child, has an important impact on the management of assessed pain, and can be an ally to pharmacological therapies.