Effects of Using Virtual Reality Technology on Pain and Hemodynamic Variables in Patients Receiving Hand Laceration Repair in an Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Pain and altered hemodynamic variables are among the most common complications in patients undergoing hand laceration repair in an Emergency Department.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of using virtual reality (VR) technology on pain and hemodynamic variables in patients receiving hand laceration repair in an Emergency Department.

Method: This nonblinded randomized clinical trial included 160 patients undergoing laceration repair to their hands under local anesthetics from November 2020 to May 2021. The participants were randomly allocated to the experimental and control groups. Patients in the control group received routine care (such as ambient noise reduction, providing explanations about the surgery, and Lidocaine injection before the surgery). In the experimental group, a video containing natural landscapes and sounds was played using a semi-immersive VR headset during the surgery. Pain level and hemodynamic variables were measured immediately before and after the intervention. The pain was measured using the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool and Visual Analog Scale.

Results: Immediately after the intervention, systolic blood pressure (BP), respiration rate, and pain intensity were significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (p < .05). There were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups regarding diastolic BP, mean BP, SPO2, heart rate, and muscular tension (p > .05).

Conclusions: Semi-immersive VR is effective in managing pain and hemodynamic variables during hand laceration repair. The nurses could use the semi-immersive VR to better control of pain and hemodynamic variables during hand laceration repair.