Virtual Reality Hypnoanxiolysis and Analgesia for Emergency Department Needle-Related Procedures: A Prospective Interventional Cohort Pilot Study Implementation

Abstract

We hypothesized that virtual reality–delivered hypnotherapy reduces anxiety (hypnoanxiolysis) and pain (hypnoanalgesia) related to needle procedures. Our primary objective was to assess whether this would result in lower procedural anxiety and/or pain scores from baseline for pediatric patients undergoing nonemergent needle-related procedures. A prospective interventional pilot study of a cohort of 22 patients (aged 8-15 years) who required a needle procedure in the emergency department was conducted, and parents (dyad) were consented. Anxiety and pain measurements were taken before and after the intervention for each dyad. The worst anxiety reflected the maximal anxiety intensity experienced by the participant during the procedure using the Visual Analog Anxiety Scale and, similarly for pain, using the validated pediatric Color Analog Pain Scale. Patients, parents, and physicians completed satisfaction scores. Most of the participants reported a reduction in anxiety during the procedure. The participants’ median maximum procedural pain scores were slightly increased from baseline. Eleven (50%) children and 19 physician and parent reports (85%) stated that the needle intervention was easy or very easy. We described novel implementation of virtual reality hypnotherapy in an emergency setting and achieved anxiety reduction for needle-related procedures in a pediatric cohort.