Virtual Reality Distraction During Pediatric Intravenous Line Placement: A Prospective Randomized Comparison Study

Children often describe procedures involving needles as the most stressful portion of the hospital experience. 1,2 Many studies involving the perception of pain have highlighted the importance of attention for the perception of pain, and, conversely, the benefit of distraction for decreasing pain perception. 3,4 Virtual reality technologies (VR) have been shown to mitigate the experience of pain and anxiety in patients undergoing procedures in a number of different ways. 5,6 While small studies have demonstrated the use of VR to be effective in diminishing pain during intravenous (IV) placement for outpatient imaging in pediatric patients aged 8-12, there have not been large-scale studies assessing the use of VR during IV placement in the Pediatric Emergency Department. 7 Studies examining the use of VR during venipuncture and IV placement also frequently focus on self-reported or parent-reported pain, rather than objectively quantifying number of IV sticks and time to successful IV placement.8 Additionally, the pediatric age ranges which benefit from VR have not been well-established, with some studies citing benefits only in patients over 10 years of age, and others showing improvements in all age groups.7,9,10

This study aims to prospectively investigate the use of virtual reality headsets on the placement of IVs in a pediatric emergency department, by comparing the first stick success rate, total number of attempts, and the time to successful IV placement between patients who use virtual reality headset technology during the placement and those who receive the standard of care IV placement when child life ( individuals with special training in aiding and augmenting pediatric coping skills) is not available. The investigators will also compare the patient and parent perception of pain and anxiety associated with the IV placement in both study groups. Finally, by detailing which medications have been given prior to use of the VR for IV placement the investigators may evaluate for possible synergistic effects of VR with prior medication administration.