Authors:

Abstract

Introduction: Admission of children to the intensive care unit (ICU) can lead to a decline in age-appropriate behaviours and a rise in distress and anxiety. VR is a safe, cost-friendly, effective and acceptable treatment for medical or dental treatment related pain and emotional distress but its effect in decreasing distress in children admitted to the ICU is not well studied.

Objective: To study the effect of VR experience on distress in children admitted to the ICU.

Method: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was carried out on 30 children, aged 4-17 years, admitted to the paediatric ICU (PICU) with 15 in the intervention group and 15 in the control group. The intervention group received 7 days of VR experience consecutively lasting for 15 minutes. The control group received the routine care provided in the PICU. Children were assessed for distress using COMFORT B and anxiety using STAI-CH (State Anxiety scale) pre and post intervention.

Results: Children in the intervention group showed a significant decrease in distress with a mean difference of 4.93 ± 2.12 within the intervention group and 3.20 ± 2.21 within the control group. The p-value was 0.0369 which is statistically significant. In the STAI-CH scores, the mean difference within the intervention group was 11.40 ± 5.58 and control group was 6.73 ± 4.50. The p-value was 0.0001 which is statistically significant.

Conclusions: VR experience intervention is effective in decreasing distress in children admitted to the ICU. 

Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2022; 51(4): 572-577

Keywords: Paediatric intensive care unit, Virtual reality experience, Distress, Anxiety, Comfort B, STAI-CH