An interventional study of Virtual Reality-Based Distraction in Procedural Pain, sponsored by Ege University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 6 Years to 11 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-03.
Sponsored by Ege University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
This study evaluates whether virtual reality (VR)-based distraction can reduce pain during intravenous cannulation and venous blood sampling in children treated in a pediatric emergency department. Children aged 6-11 years who required these procedures received either standard care or VR distraction using age-appropriate audiovisual content. The primary outcome was procedure-related pain measured by the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes included procedural duration, cooperation, first-attempt success, behavioral distress, and parental satisfaction. The study also explored whether the effectiveness of VR was associated with patient engagement during the procedure.
Painful procedures such as intravenous cannulation and venous blood sampling are common in pediatric emergency departments and may lead to distress, anxiety, and negative healthcare experiences. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a non-pharmacological intervention that may reduce procedural pain through immersive distraction.
This prospective quasi-experimental study was conducted in a tertiary pediatric emergency department between September 2024 and September 2025. A total of 150 children aged 6-11 years requiring intravenous cannulation or venous blood sampling were included. Participants were enrolled sequentially, with 100 children assigned to the VR group and 50 to standard care. The VR intervention consisted of age-appropriate audiovisual content delivered through a VR headset during the procedure.
The primary outcome was procedure-related pain measured using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes included procedural duration, cooperation, first-attempt success, behavioral distress, parental satisfaction, and VR response. The study aimed to assess whether VR distraction may improve procedural experience and reduce procedure-related pain in pediatric emergency settings.
237 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain, Procedural; 64 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 150 is above the median of 83 across 223 interventional studies indexed under Pain, Procedural.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Children received age-appropriate audiovisual distraction through a virtual reality headset during intravenous cannulation or venous blood sampling procedures.
Device: Virtual Reality-Based Distraction
Participants received age-appropriate audiovisual distraction through a virtual reality headset (Meta Quest 3S) during intravenous cannulation or venous blood sampling. The intervention aimed to reduce procedural pain and distress by redirecting attention away from the procedure toward immersive VR content.
Procedure-related pain
Procedure-related pain assessed using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS) following intravenous cannulation or venous blood sampling.
Time frame: Immediately after the procedure
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data (IPD) will not be publicly shared because the study includes pediatric participants, and data sharing may increase the risk of participant re-identification. De-identified data may be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author, subject to institutional ethics approval and applicable regulations.
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This study is completed, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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