ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT07763132Updated Aug 13, 2026

Comparison of Virtual Reality, EMLA Cream, and Standard Care for Pain During Blood Draws in Children

An interventional study of Virtual Reality Distraction and Lidocaine-Prilocaine Cream in Procedural Pain, sponsored by Marie Lulková. Recruiting at 1 site in Czechia. Open to participants aged 3 Years to 15 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-13.

Sponsored by Marie Lulková · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 1 year 11 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Sep 2024, registered Aug 2026).
  • Started Sep 2024; still recruiting 2 years 2 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
450
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
3 Years to 15 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This randomized controlled trial evaluates methods to reduce pain during venipuncture in children aged 3 to 15 years. The study compares three approaches: virtual reality distraction using a VR headset, topical anesthesia with EMLA cream, and standard care without an additional pain-reducing intervention. The main question is whether virtual reality reduces pain during venipuncture more effectively than EMLA cream or standard care. Pain is assessed immediately after venipuncture using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (0-10). The planned study sample includes 450 children.

02

Conditions studied

  • Procedural Pain

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Keywords

  • Venipuncture
  • Virtual Reality
  • EMLA Cream
  • Topical Anesthesia
  • Pediatric Pain
  • Children
  • Distraction
03

In context

Pain, Procedural

241 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain, Procedural; 64 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 450 is above the median of 90 across 227 interventional studies indexed under Pain, Procedural.

Browse Pain, Procedural studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Marie Lulková as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
3 Years to 15 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Children aged 3 to 15 years.
  • Clinical indication for venipuncture.
  • Written provided by a parent or legal guardian and verbal or written assent from the child, as appropriate for age and cognitive ability.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known to local anesthetics.
  • Diagnosed mental disorder.
  • Current treatment with analgesic or anxiolytic medications.
  • Venipuncture not successful on the first attempt.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
450 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Virtual Reality

    Children assigned to this arm receive virtual reality distraction during venipuncture using a Meta Quest 3 headset. The same 360° wildlife video is presented to all participants. Children can change the direction of view by moving their head but cannot control the content or sequence of the video. The headset is used throughout the venipuncture procedure.

    Behavioral: Virtual Reality Distraction

  • Active comparator
    EMLA Cream

    Children assigned to this arm receive topical EMLA cream containing lidocaine and prilocaine at the planned venipuncture site. The application site is covered with an occlusive dressing, and the cream is left in place for at least 60 minutes before venipuncture.

    Drug: Lidocaine-Prilocaine Cream

  • No intervention
    Standard Care

    Children assigned to this arm receive standard nursing care during venipuncture according to routine clinical practice. No additional pharmacological or non-pharmacological intervention specifically aimed at reducing procedural pain is provided.

Interventions

  • BehavioralVirtual Reality Distraction

    Virtual reality distraction is provided during venipuncture using a Meta Quest 3 headset. All participants assigned to this intervention view the same 360° wildlife video. Children can change the direction of view by moving their head but cannot control the content or sequence of the video. The headset is used throughout the venipuncture procedure.

  • DrugLidocaine-Prilocaine Cream

    Topical EMLA cream containing lidocaine and prilocaine is applied to the planned venipuncture site, covered with an occlusive dressing, and left in place for at least 60 minutes before venipuncture.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain Intensity During Venipuncture

    Pain intensity is self-reported immediately after venipuncture using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (0-10), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain. Lower scores indicate lower perceived pain intensity.

    Time frame: Immediately after venipuncture

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Krajska zdravotni, a.s. - Masarykova nemocnice v Usti nad Labem
    Ústí nad Labem, Ústí nad Labem Region 40011, Czechia
    Recruiting
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 13, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07763132
Lead sponsor
Marie Lulková
Responsible party
Marie Lulková (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Studies, Jan Evangelista Purkyne University) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Aug 13, 2026
Start date
Sep 1, 2024
Primary completion
Jun 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Jun 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 13, 2026

Study contacts

Marie Lulková, Mgr.
Contact
marie.lulkova@kzcr.eu
+420733756630

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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